Nancy Mace wore a ‘scarlet letter’ to Congress, but not for the reason you might think
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South Carolina U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace strutted the halls of Congress Tuesday night on her way to a closed-door candidate forum wearing a white t-shirt with a large red letter “A” printed, drawing plenty of attention.
“I’m wearing the scarlet letter after the week I just had last week being a woman up here and being demonized for my vote and my voice,” she told reporters, referring to the U.S. House vote a week earlier to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy from leadership. Mace was one of eight Republicans who voted with House Democrats to depose the speaker, the first such ouster in history.
Mace’s vote on McCarthy has sparked speculation about why she did it, as the typically moderate congresswoman sided with members of the hard-right Republican faction on the vote. Some South Carolina political watchers said it was a media grab for Mace, while others suggested it was because of personal issues she may have had with McCarthy.
Mace publicly said her vote was because of McCarthy’s unkept legislative promises to her. Whatever the reason was, she has gained national attention the past week and has continued to find the spotlight since the vote.
https://twitter.com/GaryGrumbach/status/1711850806503182435
The “scarlet letter” A is a well-known allusion to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famed 1850 book about a woman who was punished for adultery and forced to wear an A for shame. In 2010, the comedy movie “Easy A,” also referenced the letter, following the high school life of a teenage girl swarmed by drama.
Mace caught attention as she walked in with the outfit and further told reporters, “I’m here to let the rest of the world know, the country know, I’m on the side of the people. I’m not on the side of the establishment. I don’t answer to anybody in D.C., I don’t answer to anyone in Washington. I only answer to the people.”
Social media users on X, formerly known as Twitter, have reacted with memes and jokes at her decision, some simply making fun of Mace while others implore her.
https://twitter.com/nagy_minaj/status/1711856583427137551?s=46&t=rnJk0Ld1i8S74yGu29ly-w https://twitter.com/andreagail_k/status/1711937565212000383 https://twitter.com/JasmineForUS/status/1711905754112823542
