Representative Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, publicly criticized constituents who called her office regarding her absence from a town hall event last month, calling their communications “hateful” and “evil” in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.

The congresswoman also said that these calls are preventing her staff from helping constituents with legitimate needs.

Newsweek reached out to Mace via email on Monday for comment.

Why It Matters

Mace’s situation mirrors a broader trend as Republicans nationwide face heated town hall protests over federal budget cuts implemented by President Donald Trump‘s administration and Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). These cuts have resulted in tens of thousands of federal worker layoffs and the dismantling of government programs.

Trump dismissed the controversy last month as the work of “paid troublemakers,” while Republican leaders have speculated that Democrats organized the protests. The GOP has advised party members to stop holding town halls, although some have continued to do so.

What To Know

In March, Mace declined to attend a town hall organized by the Lowcountry Accountability Alliance, labeling it as “fake news” driven by “left-wing extremists and paid agitators.” She cited safety concerns for herself, her employees, and her family as reasons for not participating.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, and Representative Richard Hudson, a North Carolina Republican and chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, have advised GOP lawmakers to stop conducting these events, with Johnson dismissing protesters as “professionals” and questioning why Republicans should “give them a forum.”

In Monday’s video, Mace claimed that only one caller out of 300 had legitimate issues requiring her office’s assistance. She accused constituents of being “nasty,” “ugly,” and taking resources away from people with “real needs” in the community.

The town hall organizer, Guang Ming Whitley, had previously responded that the event was “not a hoax,” but simply a meeting for “concerned citizens,” expressing disappointment that those with different viewpoints were being characterized as “deranged or extreme.”

What People Are Saying

Representative Nancy Mace’s communications director Gabrielle Lipsky told Newsweek on Monday afternoon: “It’s more like these constituents have refused to attend the town halls Mace’s hosted since taking office. As for the details, they’re all Trump-hating people who want Elon Musk dead — their words, not ours.”

Mace in the video posted on her X account: “Your BS calls are taking away from people who have real needs in our community from housing to the VA to job issues, you name it. What you all are doing is evil. It’s completely evil.”

She continued: “Help those in our community. Help those in need. Stop making BS excuses that you’re trying to put people in harm’s way over. You don’t have any issues that need to be resolved. You’re just being nasty.”

Town hall organizer Guang Ming Whitley told ABC News 4 last month: “I just think it’s unfortunate that we live in a world where anyone who disagrees with you is going to be branded as deranged or extreme. This is not a hoax, this is a group of concerned citizens.”

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social last month: “Paid ‘troublemakers’ are attending Republican Town Hall Meetings. It is all part of the game for the Democrats, but just like our big LANDSLIDE ELECTION, it’s not going to work for them!”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said in a statement in early March: “We don’t need paid protestors. The American people are with us.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said during a March news conference: “We’ve seen this movie before. They’re professional protesters. So why would we give them a forum to do that right now?”

Representative Jasmine Crockett, a Texas Democrat, said last month on The Katie Phang Show: “Right now the Democrats are carrying the load for not only our constituency, but for theirs too because clearly they don’t have the answers for their constituents…They only have decided that they’re going answer to Elon Musk and Donald Trump.”

What Happens Next?

As constituents across the country express frustration over DOGE policies and Musk’s influence, the GOP strategy of avoiding town halls may further intensify political divisions while raising questions about democratic accountability.