Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) used tweets from a progressive activist against her on Tuesday during a hearing about extremist rhetoric and the “threat to democracy.”
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform invited several witnesses to speak about the subject. The committee sought to explore the issue of “the ongoing threat to American democracy posed by white supremacist ideologies, and how the federal government can confront domestic terrorist threats.”
Witnesses from across the political spectrum joined to dissect “Confronting Violent White Supremacy” and “the proliferation of white nationalism and political violence.”
During one exchange, Mace asked six witnesses whether they believe heated political rhetoric poses a “threat to democracy.” The congresswoman framed the questions as “yes” or “no.” Each witness, including LGBTQ activist and Harvard Law clinical instructor Alejandra Caraballo, answered “yes.”
Mace then introduced two tweets from Caraballo – one that called on people to “accost” Supreme Court justices who voted in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade in June.
“The 6 justices who overturned Roe should never know peace again. It is our civic duty to accost them every time they are in public. They are pariahs. Since women don’t have their rights, these justices should never have a peaceful moment in public again,” Caraballo tweeted.
Mace recited the tweet and said, “I know personally that rhetoric has consequences.”
The lawmaker said she carries a gun to protect herself from political violence. The South Carolina Republican also reminded Caraballo an armed man was arrested outside of the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh earlier this year.
Mace then shared a more recent tweet from Caraballo about the court and asked if she felt it threatened democracy. The witness asked to add context to the statement.
“It is yes or no,” Mace interrupted. “Do you believe your rhetoric is a threat to democracy when you’re calling to accost a branch of government, the Supreme Court?”
Caraballo responded she did not feel her tweet had been characterized correctly.
Watch above, via C-SPAN.
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