Fact Check

RUMOR ALERT: Claims that Rep. Nancy Mace Vandalized Her Own Home

Mace's post was met with a polarized response.

Published June 2, 2021

 (Bess Kalb Twitter screenshot)
Image Via Bess Kalb Twitter screenshot
Claim:
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, vandalized her own home with spray-painted graffiti.

Why no rating on this article? This is a trending topic but has not yet been rated by Snopes for reasons we’ll outline below.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, took to her reelection campaign Twitter account on June 1, 2021, to post news that her home in the Charleston community of Daniel Island was vandalized with spray-painted graffiti.

Photographs shared by Mace showed black painted lettering that included phrases like "F--- you Nancy" and "Pass the Pro Act," a reference to pro-union legislation.

Mace's tweet was met with polarized reactions. Fellow Republican political figures posted messages of support, like U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, to name a few.

"I know Rep. Mace won’t be deterred by such cowardice, but every Member of Congress—on both sides of the aisle—should denounce this kind of attack," McCarthy tweeted. "Political disagreements are no excuse for harassing and vandalizing someone’s home."

But others responded to Mace's tweet by comparing a publicly available sample of her handwriting to the lettering in the graffiti messages, accusing Mace of vandalizing her own home.

Others mocked the idea that anarchists, being anti-government ideologues, would assert their advocacy for Congress passing federal legislation.

The "Antifa symbols" referenced by Mace, or the letter "A" with a circle around it, is actually the symbol for anarchism, a leftist political philosophy that opposes government. "Antifa" on the other hand is a portmanteau for anti-fascist, a leftist umbrella movement made up of loose collectives of activists who confront far-right extremists.

Sam Spence, editor of the Charleston City Paper, also reported that Mace's campaign used the incident in fundraising emails:

A spokeswoman for Mace told Snopes in an email that Mace didn't spray-paint her own house.

An incident report from the Charleston Police Department states police were called to to Mace's home on Memorial Day just after 8 a.m. Mace told police that she and her daughter had left the home the night before and returned the following morning about 8 a.m., where they found the graffiti on the roadway, sidewalk, and a fountain outside the home.

Charleston police are also investigating other graffiti vandalism incidents that occurred over the holiday weekend at nearby parks.

Because we can't independently confirm or deny the Mace rumor, we are not yet issuing a rating for this rumor.

Bethania Palma is a journalist from the Los Angeles area who started her career as a daily newspaper reporter and has covered everything from crime to government to national politics. She has written for ... read more