‘Vicious lunatic’: Kevin McCarthy shredded as Nancy Mace claims former Speaker is backing her opponent out of ‘revenge’

DANIEL ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA: Representative Nancy Mace finds herself once again at the heart of an intraparty skirmish, this time stemming from her pivotal role in the Republican clash that led to the ouster of Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker last year.

As she campaigns for her third term in office, the repercussions of her controversial vote are rippling through her primary challenge on Tuesday, June 11.

Nancy Mace ruffles a few feathers within GOP

Nancy Mace, who also serves as her own campaign manager, has quickly become a lightning rod within Republican ranks since her arrival in Washington. Her willingness to confront party leaders has drawn the ire of influential Republicans, beginning with former president Donald Trump in 2022.

Despite their past conflicts, Mace and Trump have since reconciled. However, her decision to vote against McCarthy remains a significant point of contention within the GOP.

Reflecting on her vote to remove McCarthy, Mace stressed its importance, while also discussing how she fares in a primary race where one of her rivals has McCarthy's support.

“It’s about revenge,” she told NBC News during an interview at her Daniel Island campaign headquarters. “It’s also about honesty and integrity. And my vote to oust Kevin McCarthy was about trust.”

Kevin McCarthy has publicly dismissed claims of political vendetta, stating that his support for GOP candidates opposing members of the so-called “crazy eight” is not driven by personal grudges. Sources close to McCarthy indicated to NBC News his limited direct involvement, confined to providing financial support and strategic advice.

Nonetheless, operatives aligned with McCarthy are channeling substantial funds into these primary races through various outside groups.

Mace’s primary is the initial test of this strategy, with upcoming challenges to House Freedom Caucus chair Bob Good in Virginia, and anti-McCarthy voters Reps Eli Crane of Arizona and Matt Gaetz of Florida, all facing primary opponents this summer.

Nancy Mace's rival Catherine Templeton seeks Kevin McCarthy's help in fundraising

In South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, Catherine Templeton, a Trump supporter and former labor secretary in Nikki Haley’s Cabinet, attributes her decision to challenge Mace directly to the vote against McCarthy.

Templeton, who met with GOP strategist and McCarthy ally Brian O Walsh before her campaign launch, clarified that she has not discussed the race with McCarthy personally, though she has sought his help in fundraising efforts. McCarthy’s leadership PAC has contributed to Templeton’s campaign.

Templeton downplayed McCarthy’s influence in the Low Country of South Carolina, emphasizing broader campaign themes.

“Her antics have consequences,” Templeton remarked about Mace. “All due respect to Kevin McCarthy, who is, I’m sure, a wonderful man: Nobody’s paying attention to Kevin McCarthy in the Low Country of South Carolina.”

Campaign advertising has been dominated by significant financial contributions from outside groups.

According to AdImpact, an ad-tracking firm, American Prosperity Alliance, South Carolina Patriots PAC, and Lowcountry Conservatives, all linked to McCarthy allies, have spent over $4 million on ads targeting Mace. In contrast, Mace has received substantial support from Club for Growth Action and its affiliated groups, which have spent $3 million to bolster her campaign.

“Part of the reason that she’s being challenged right now is she challenged the system,” South Carolina GOP strategist Dave Wilson, who is not involved in the race, told NBC News. “So it does kind of play into the narrative of, ‘Hey, listen, if you want to find somebody who’s willing to buck the system when they need to, Donald Trump and Nancy Mace are both willing to do that.’”

Despite these efforts, Mace remains focused on proving her resilience. Her campaign headquarters prominently display “60-40” signs, indicating her ambition to secure a decisive victory well beyond the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff.

The presence of a third GOP candidate, Marine veteran Bill Young, introduces the possibility of a runoff.

Mace is undeterred by the internal opposition and remains committed to her principles.

Reflecting on past campaigns, she commented, “Everybody sort of leaves me for dead, right? They say, ‘she’s out’ every election. It’s always, ‘She’s never gonna make it,’ and then we do. I want to win bigger than ever before Tuesday night because I want to send a message to Washington that voters don’t care about DC.”

Kevin McCarthy faces backlash online

McCarthy was slammed on social media following Mace's assertions.

"McCarthy is a little b***h," one posted on X.

"Go away bro," another wrote.

"I can't imagine McCarthy working this hard to defeat Democrats. No one can. That's why canning him was a righteous thing," someone else added.

"Like Mitt Romney, McCarthy has become a vicious lunatic," a comment read.

"How does he even have a fundraising network I wonder," another chimed in.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.