Congress
Mace, alleging assault, shares nude photo of herself she says was taken without her consent during House hearing
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) shared a photo of what she described as a “naked silhouette” of herself that she said was taken without her consent while renewing allegations of sexual abuse against multiple men, including her ex-fiancé, during a House subcommittee hearing Tuesday.
The four men Mace has accused of crimes have repeatedly denied wrongdoing. The South Carolina Republican framed her testimony as part of a broader effort to advocate for stronger legal protections for victims of non-consensual recording and sexual misconduct.
The remarkable moment from a sitting member of Congress came during a hearing for the House Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Subcommittee, which Mace chairs, titled “Breach of Trust: Surveillance in Private Spaces.”
“I would run through a brick wall to protect women and girls in South Carolina and to other potential victims,” Mace said during her remarks. “I want you to know I have your back.”
Along with the photo of herself, Mace presented a series of censored images of women, which she claimed were pulled from recordings belonging to her ex-fiancé and Charleston tech entrepreneur Patrick Bryant — who has denied Mace’s allegations. Mace also said the photos of the unidentified women were taken without their consent.
In a statement to Blue Light News on Tuesday, Bryant called the accusations Mace made during the hearing “false” and “outrageous.”
“I have never raped anyone,” Bryant said. “I have never hidden cameras. I have never harmed any woman. These accusations are not just false — they are malicious and deeply personal.”
“Nancy Mace made these claims only while standing in Congress, purportedly shielded by legal immunity,” Bryant continued. “If she believed them to be true and there was evidence to support her accusations, she would say them outside the chamber — away from her public role and protections and pursue them through proper legal channels. She has not done so, because she cannot.”
Mace’s testimony follows a House floor speech she delivered in early February, accusing Bryant and three other men of rape, sex trafficking and recording sex acts with her and others without consent.
Legal battles have emerged from her allegations. Mace faces a pending defamation lawsuit brought by one of the men she’s accused, which was filed in March in federal court.
Earlier this month, an attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina told the court he would be representing Mace, a sign that Mace will likely claim her speech is protected under a clause in the Constitution that provides a legal shield for members of Congress for actions taken as part of their roles as lawmakers.
Mace also sued one of the other accused men in state court earlier this month, claiming he “repeatedly and maliciously defamed” her on social media.
The Senate is aiming to leave Washington for a five-week recess early Saturday after Republicans cut a deal with President Donald Trump to punt some of their priorities, including a framework for a party-line spending plan.
The Senate is trying to lock in an agreement that would set up votes on a college sports bill, a stopgap government funding bill, Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination and GOP voter ID legislation, according to a copy of an internal notice reviewed by Blue Light News.
The Senate would then leave Washington until mid-September.
Any one senator could object to the tentative deal, forcing it to be altered or dragging the Senate deeper into the weekend. Senators believe there are still objections to advancing the college sports bill. Democrats are also waiting to see if one of their own will prevent speeding up Blanche’s confirmation.
The breakthrough is a U-turn from earlier Friday evening, when Republican senators emerged from a closed-door meeting predicting they would have to spend Saturday trying to break a stalemate within the party about how to wrap final votes before recess.
Shortly after that meeting, Trump spoke by phone with Senate Republicans including Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah about the path forward for the GOP’s lengthy to-do list.
During the call, according to Johnson, Trump agreed to punt a vote on a budget blueprint for a third party-line spending bill until later in the year. Lee, who has been pushing for action on the separate SAVE America Act, also agreed to drop his demand for a formal, roll call vote on adjourning given the understanding with the president.
“I think the conclusion of the conference – and we had a discussion with the president and he agrees – [is] don’t take the vote tonight,” Johnson said after the meeting in Thune’s office.
Republicans were in talks with the White House throughout Friday. A White House official granted anonymity said Friday evening that “we’re continuing to have productive conversations with senators to advance several legislative priorities.”
Senate Republicans confirmed dozens of President Donald Trump’s nominees Friday, just before they leave for a five-week congressional recess.
Senators voted 51-47 to approve officials at the Departments of Defense, Energy, State and other agencies.
They included David Cummins to head the Transportation Security Administration, Cameron Hamilton to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Hal Duncan to be OMB deputy director and Francis Brooke to be Treasury deputy secretary. Among the group were several ambassadors, including former Rep. David Brat to be ambassador to Australia.
Senate Republicans changed the chamber’s rules last year to be able to confirm lower-level nominees as a package instead of having to hold a vote on each.
After finishing the expedited procedure Friday, Senate Republicans estimate they will only have a small number of civilian nominees awaiting confirmation.
President Donald Trump said voters may seek to punish Republicans — but not him — in the November midterm elections, as GOP lawmakers sweat that affordability concerns and the war in Iran could mean Democrats flip the House and perhaps even the Senate.
“They’re angry at Republicans,” Trump said in an interview with Punchbowl News that aired Friday. “But they’re not angry at me. They’re not angry at me, but they are angry at Republicans.”
The GOP faces the prospect of heavy losses this November, as gas and grocery prices remain stubbornly high due in part to the White House’s five-month-long war in Iran. The administration’s guidance on campaign trail messaging has been “tone deaf,” House Republicans fear.
Meanwhile, the president’s approval rating has tumbled since he returned to the Oval Office last year, and even his biggest supporters have grown frustrated over his Middle East war.
And with a messy, jam-packed slate of primaries now all but in the rearview mirror, Democrats are determined to go on offense. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has 58 seats on its midterm target map that stretches into redder territory — while still facing an uphill climb to take the Senate.
Trump has a massive war chest at his disposal. His MAGA Inc. super PAC reached $400 million in June. The president told Punchbowl he plans to use it to “help Republicans,” but he stressed that he faces no pressure in this campaign cycle.
“I said to somebody, ‘Wait a minute, you don’t understand, I won,’” Trump said, referencing his 2024 presidential election victory. “I’m not campaigning.”
The biggest issue for Republicans this year? That Trump himself is not on the ballot, he said.
“If I don’t run, will those people go out and vote? And that’s the one thing I can’t tell, I’m going to ask them to,” he said.
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