In a heated exchange on ABC's This Week, veteran journalist George Stephanopoulos and Republican Representative Nancy Mace engaged in a 10-minute battle over Mace's continued support of former President Donald Trump despite allegations of rape against him, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The confrontation stemmed from Mace's testimony in the South Carolina legislature, where she disclosed being a rape survivor.
Stephanopoulos wasted no time in addressing the issue head-on, citing the two civil court rulings that found Trump liable for rape and defamation.
He asked Mace, "How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?"
Mace, visibly upset, defended her position, emphasizing the personal toll of her own experience with sexual assault. She expressed frustration, stating, “I was raped at the age of 16. And any rape victim will tell you — I’ve lived for 30 years with an incredible amount of shame over being raped."
I didn’t come forward because of that judgment and shame that I felt. And it’s a shame that you will never feel, George," she continued. "I'm not going to sit here on your show and be asked a question meant to shame me about another potential rape victim."
Stephanopoulos defended himself by telling the congresswoman, “It’s actually not about shaming you.”
Mace replied, “No, you are shaming me!”
“You’ve endorsed Donald Trump for president,” Stephanopoulos said. “Donald Trump has been found liable for rape by a jury. Donald Trump has been found liable for defaming the victim of that rape by a jury. It’s been affirmed by a judge.”
The debate intensified, lasting over ten minutes, as Stephanopoulos pressed Mace on her unwavering support for Trump despite the serious allegations against him.
Mace, in turn, criticized the handling of the case involving E. Jean Carroll, the victim in question, accusing her of making light of the situation.
“Quite frankly, E. Jean Carroll’s comments when she did get the judgment, joking about what she was going to buy, it makes it harder for women to come forward when they make a mockery out of rape,” Mace told the host. “When they joke about it.”
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The conversation escalated further as both parties remained steadfast in their positions, with Mace denouncing the line of questioning as offensive to rape survivors.
Stephanopoulos, unfazed by the claim, replied, “We’ll let the viewers decide about that.”