Security footage of Rep. Nancy Mace’s airport incident released
Newly released video captures the moment of the incident involving Congresswoman Nancy Mace along with police and staff at the Charleston airport.
The South Carolina gubernatorial candidate recently came under fire after authorities said he unleashed a barrage of profanities at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents, leaving airport workers “visibly shaken.”
Rep. Nancy Mace, who represents the state’s 1st Congressional District, which covers part of Charleston, said police turned a “minor blunder” into a “showcase,” according to the conclusions TSA officials documented in a 10-page report from the Charleston International Police Department.
Mace, 48, became the first Republican woman elected to Congress from South Carolina in 2021. She criticized President Donald Trump over the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and has since become one of his closest allies.
Mace, 48, began campaigning for governor on August 4th.
The 10-page investigation, first reported by the Washington Post, was written by Airport Police Chief James A. Woods to Charleston Regional Aviation Authority Director Elliot Summey and included affidavits from multiple TSA officers who witnessed the incident.
The event was held on October 30th during this year’s federal government shutdown. Mace claimed it was one of “repeated security violations” that allegedly jeopardized his safety at Charleston International Airport, according to the documents.
The report does not elaborate on the profanity allegedly used.
Mace’s Office: “Issues that actually matter”
Mace’s office released the following statement to news station WCBD-TV:
“Congressman Mace appreciates this clear exoneration and is campaigning on issues that actually matter to South Carolinians: affordability and law and order.”
USA TODAY independently reached out to Mace’s office.
“Continuous failure to follow established procedures”
One witness reported Mace abusing the officer and complaining about the wait time, and two other witnesses reported Mace using profanity and yelling, according to the report. Witnesses said they did not know whether she was yelling at airport staff or someone on the phone.
“While it is clear that we bear some responsibility for misleading Congressman Mace about the color of his car, it is equally clear that his failure to follow established procedures at the checkpoint, and a minor miscommunication over the color of his car, turned this issue into a disaster for our employees and airport staff,” the report said.
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund.
