Metro Weekly

Mace Hurls Insults at Jacobs Over Trans Rights Debate

Nancy Mace attacked Sara Jacobs during a House debate on trans rights, even lobbing an anti-Semitic remark over a defense bill amendment fight.

Nancy Mace, Sara Jacobs - Official Portraits
Nancy Mace, Sara Jacobs – Official Portraits

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) lashed out at Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), an LGBTQ ally whose brother is transgender, after Jacobs criticized Republicans for introducing a series of anti-transgender amendments to the annual National Defense Authorization Act.

Several of the amendments — including some introduced by Mace herself — target gender-affirming care for transgender service members. One Mace-backed measure would bar TRICARE, the military’s health insurance program, from covering gender-affirming treatments.

“I would just like to point out that it’s interesting my colleague from South Carolina is so obsessed with the issue of trans people, using horrible slurs to talk about them, when many people in this body have received gender-affirming care,” Jacobs said on the House floor.

“Filler is gender-affirming care,” she continued. “Boob jobs is gender-affirming care. Botox is gender-affirming care. Lots of my colleagues have received gender-affirming care, and let me be clear, I think everybody should have access to the gender-affirming care they need, and I think that we should respect everybody in this country.”

According to The Hill, Mace — no longer recognized for debate and standing elsewhere on the floor — allegedly yelled at Jacobs for making comments about “my body.”

“Ridiculous,” Mace shouted. “You are absolutely ridiculous. What the hell is your problem?… You are disgusting. You are an insult.”

A clip of Jacobs’ remarks — and Mace’s tantrum in response — has been widely shared on social media.

Jacobs asked that Mace’s words be stricken from the official record, but presiding officers rejected the request, arguing that Mace was not recognized when she lashed out at the California Democrat.

It remains unclear why Mace believed Jacobs was referring to her personally. Some online commenters — including Mace’s former communications director — have speculated she has had cosmetic surgery, according to The List, an entertainment and celebrity news site. Those rumors have not been verified.

Mace, who has recently made opposition to transgender rights central to her political identity, scolded Jacobs on X and invoked her status as a sexual assault survivor in response to the criticism.

“To @RepSaraJacobs, I talk about women’s safety and your response is commentary about my body on the House floor. If you knew anything about survivors you would know some women change their bodies because of the trauma of sexual violence. They live with the consequences for a lifetime,” Mace wrote.

Mace then added, “PS – I have a good surgeon if you ever want to get your nose done.” Critics noted the remark targeted Jacobs, who is Jewish, and echoed anti-Semitic tropes about Jewish women’s appearance.

A day later, the Nexus Project — an Israeli nonprofit that says it combats anti-Semitism — lightly chastised Mace on Bluesky: “We call on all members of Congress manage to refrain from antisemitic, schoolyard bullying about their Jewish colleagues’ noses generally, and especially in a post about respecting women’s bodies.”

No other major anti-Semitism watchdog groups publicly defended Jacobs or condemned Mace’s remark.

Jacobs did not respond to the anti-Semitic trope, but she did reply to a separate X post in which Mace claimed, “there is no such thing as a ‘trans child.'”

“I feel sad for you,” wrote Jacobs. “Stop lashing out against trans kids and pretending it’s to ‘protect women.’ Hope you get the help you need.”

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