Nancy Mays explodes when asked why she supports Trump as a rape victim

Rep. Nancy Mays (R-SC) went off the rails when George Stephanopoulos asked her to clarify how she, as a rape victim, supports Donald Trump.

The full transcript of the exchange is worth reading to see how Rep. Mays handles the issue.

Video.

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Transcript via ABC This Week.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Congressman, thank you for joining us this morning.

Did you endorse Donald Trump for president? Two separate juries found him guilty of rape and defamation of the rape victim. How do you reconcile your approval of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?

MACE: Well, I will tell you that I was raped when I was 16, and any rape victim will tell you that I lived with incredible shame for 30 years because of being raped. I did not come forward because of the judgment and shame I felt.

And shame you'll never feel, George, and I'm not going to sit here on your show and be asked a question aimed at shaming me about another potential rape victim. I'm not going to do that.

STEPHANOPOULOS: It's not really about embarrassing you. It's a question about Donald Trump.

MACE: No, you embarrass me.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Did you endorse Donald Trump for president?

MACE: That's right:

STEPHANOPOULOS: A jury found Donald Trump guilty of rape. Donald Trump was found guilty by the jury for defaming the rape victim. It was confirmed by the judge. He repeated –

MACE: It's not a criminal court, number one. Number two, I live in shame, and you're asking me about my political choices in an attempt to shame me as a rape victim and find it disgusting.

And frankly, E. Gene Carroll's comments when he was really joking about what he was going to buy are not. it's harder for women to express themselves when they're teasing about rape when they're joking. about that. That's not good.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Doesn't it make it harder for women to speak up when they are slandered by presidential candidates?

MACE: It gets harder when other women joke about it and she jokes about it. I find it offensive. And I also find it offensive that you are trying to embarrass me with this question.

STEPHANOPOULOS: I'm not trying to embarrass you at all. In fact –

MACE: You are. I have been doing it for 30 years. Do you know how difficult it was to tell my story five years ago, when they were doing the fetal heartbeat, when there were no exceptions for rape, bloodshed or life; I had to tell my story because no other woman was coming forward.

STEPHANOPOULOS: I'm just asking.

MACE: No rape victims were reported. And you're trying to embarrass me this morning.

STEPHANOPOULOS: I'm just asking you.

MACE: And I find that offensive. And this is why women will not come forward.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Women will not come forward because they are slandered by rapists. Donald Trump was.

MACE – They're being judged and they're being shamed, and you're trying to shame me this morning. I think it's disgusting.

STEPHANOPOULOS: I'm not 'me', I'm not shaming you at all. I called you brave.

Stephanopoulos asked Rep, Mace a logical question. She wanted to understand why she, as a rape victim, was supporting Donald Trump, and Mays tried to claim she was being shamed.

Mace also attacked another rape victim and seemed to argue that rape convictions in civil court somehow don't count because the only convictions that matter are in criminal court.

George Stephanopoulos didn't shame Nancy Mace, but Rep. Mace attacked E. Gene on Carol and minimized what happened to her.

Rape is rape, regardless of whether the decision is made in a civil or criminal court. The reality is that a man convicted of raping a woman should not be president of the United States.

Nancy Mays is an elected member of Congress, so her decision-making process should be open to question. Stephanopoulos was not attacking or shaming Rep. Mays. She was asking for insight into his mindset, and what she got was a look at a callous and calculating man who seemed more interested in getting attention and creating a viral moment for himself than in getting an honest look at his choices.

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Jason is the editor-in-chief. She is also the White House Press Center and Congressional Correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a BA in Political Science. Her graduate work focused on public policy, specializing in social reform movements.

Awards and professional memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association