Nancy Mace cancels planned speech after only eight people turn up amid South Carolina gubernatorial bid

Nancy Mace cancels planned speech after only eight people turn up amid South Carolina gubernatorial bid
Nancy Mace abruptly canceled a scheduled speech on Thursday, August 21 (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA: South Carolina congresswoman Nancy Mace, now a Republican candidate for governor, abruptly canceled a scheduled speech on Thursday, August 21, after her campaign was dealt an embarrassing blow.

According to My Horry News, only eight people turned up to hear her speak.

Organizers had anticipated an audience of at least 100 for Nancy Mace's event

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) walks off the House floor before a vote on the Republican budget plan at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) said that U.S. President Donald Trump didn't get involved in getting support from fiscally conservative Republican members who were against the plan. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Rep Nancy Mace (R-SC) walks off the House floor before a vote on the Republican budget plan at the US Capitol on April 10, 2025, in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Nancy Mace had been slated to address a local Moms for Liberty chapter, an organization closely aligned with far-right causes. Organizers had anticipated an audience of at least 100, but when the room remained mostly empty, Mace opted against delivering her prepared remarks. Instead, she retreated backstage, later speaking briefly with the handful of attendees one-on-one and fielding questions from reporters.

The setback comes just weeks after Mace announced her candidacy to succeed outgoing Governor Henry McMaster, who is barred from running again due to term limits. The GOP primary field currently includes four other Republicans vying for the nomination ahead of the November 3 election.

Nancy Mace positions herself as ‘Trump in heels’

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - MAY 01: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to graduating students at the Coleman Coliseum at the University of Alabama on May 01, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Trump's remarks come the day before commencement ceremonies. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump delivers remarks to graduating students at the Coleman Coliseum at the University of Alabama on May 1, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Nancy Mace launched her gubernatorial bid on August 4 with fiery rhetoric, positioning herself as a political outsider willing to buck the establishment. “I didn’t come to join the club. They don’t want me, and I don’t want them,” she declared at her kickoff. Doubling down on her combative style, she added, “They said stay quiet; I spoke up. They said sit down; I stood up. They said play nice, and I fought back.”

The congresswoman has leaned heavily into her ties to President Donald Trump, casting herself as “Trump in heels” while publicly courting his endorsement. She has frequently amplified MAGA talking points, railing against Democratic-led policies and portraying herself as a fighter against “the swamp.”

Speaking to the media after Thursday’s poorly attended event, Mace insisted her campaign is performing strongly, claiming, “We are winning by double digits everywhere, but particularly with folks who support the president.”

Nancy Mace accuses a reporter of being biased against conservative women

At a town hall in Myrtle Beach, Nancy Mace lashed out after being fact-checked on her claim of delivering infrastructure upgrades tied to the Inflation Reduction Act — legislation she had voted against. When challenged, she accused the journalist of being “a raging Democrat” and went further, saying: “As a woman, you might wanna think about how you view other women.”

“You’re very confused,” the Republican snapped. “And you’re a raging Democrat, a raging leftist with that kind of questioning. And I would say, as a woman, you might wanna think about how you view other women and how you treat other women the way that you question them, because women are gonna lead this country off the brink. And conservative women—the first female president of this country is going to be a conservative woman, not some liberal like you.”

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