Nancy Mace reminds Trump of her loyalty with $15M ABC settlement after prez endorsed rival

WASHINGTON, DC: Nancy Mace is sending Donald Trump a crucial reminder in hopes of repairing their fractured alliance after the president dealt a major setback to her re-election hopes by endorsing her primary rival, Pamela Evette.

The South Carolina Republican, a longtime Trump supporter who has closely aligned herself with the MAGA movement, has reportedly spent weeks seeking the former president's endorsement after launching her campaign for South Carolina governor.

But in a move that caught Mace off guard, Trump bypassed one of his staunchest supporters and endorsed Evette. The conservative firebrand has suggested the snub may have been linked to her push for the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Mace was one of four Republicans who signed a bipartisan discharge petition last year to force a House vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation that compelled the Department of Justice (DOJ) to publish millions of documents related to its probe into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Nancy resurfaces $15M ABC settlement

The Congresswoman earlier insisted that she has “no regrets” about her decision to push for the release of Epstein files even after Trump endorsed her rival.

However, Mace appeared to soften her stance soon afterward, signaling a willingness to mend ties with Trump by sharing a photo of the president and praising his leadership for making America “the most respected country.”

In another post, she credited herself for helping Trump win millions of dollars. She took to her X account on Sunday, May 31, to share a video from her 2024 ABC News interview that prompted Trump to file a defamation lawsuit against the network.

“The interview that won President Donald Trump $15 million dollars,” she wrote on X, apparently suggesting that she had helped to secure him the $15 million payout the network agreed to pay to settle the lawsuit.

Mace’s claims stem from a defamation case brought by President Trump over anchor George Stephanopoulos' inaccurate on-air assertion that he had been found civilly liable for assaulting writer E Jean Carroll.

In the video interview, Mace branded Stephanopoulos “disgusting” for, as she put it, trying to “shame” her for her support of Trump.

Nancy Mace attacks new Trump favourite

Mace continued her posting spree with a nostalgic nod to her ties with Trump, posting a photo of the two posing together with matching thumbs-up gestures and a quote attributed to him that read: “She’s a fighter, I know about that.”

In following posts, she launched attacks against her rival and new Trump favourite, saying The congresswoman followed up with a “Hearing Pam Evette has just dropped out of our final debate before the June 9th primary.”

“Guess she didn’t want to answer any questions about picking the Governor’s son as her Lt Governor - and too rich and privileged to face my questions about why she’s using fake AI videos to lie about other candidates and me. PAM is a SCAM. Don’t fall for it,” she continued.

The congresswoman criticized Trump's preferred candidate for allegedly relying on fabricated videos and exaggerated claims, saying the approach spoke volumes about her character.

“I have approached this election with the highest integrity. I have kept my head held high. And I have not desperately spread lies about my opponents. There is no honor in the way Pamela Evette has behaved. But I doubt she carries any shame,” she added.