Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett and South Carolina Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who sparred during a contentious House Oversight Committee meeting, continued their spat on social media with one calling the other a “Karen.”
Newsweek has contacted Crockett’s and Mace’s offices for comment via email outside of regular working hours.
Why It Matters
The argument between the two representatives started as the House voted to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports at federally funded institutions. The GOP has long made targeting transgender inclusion a key campaign issue. In November, Mace had introduced a bill seeking to bar transgender female members and staff from using women’s restrooms at the Capitol.
While many polls shows acceptance for LGBTQ+ rights has generally increased over the past 20 years, most Americans are less supportive of transgender girls and women participating in women’s sports. A Gallup poll from May 2023 found that 69 percent of Americans believe transgender people should play on teams that match their sex assigned at birth.
{L-R}Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) speaks during a press conference on March 20, 2024 in Washington, DC. Nancy Mace (R-SC) speaks to the media on February 28, 2024 in Washington DC. Crockett and Mace have continued to… {L-R}Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) speaks during a press conference on March 20, 2024 in Washington, DC. Nancy Mace (R-SC) speaks to the media on February 28, 2024 in Washington DC. Crockett and Mace have continued to exchange words following a heated House Oversight meeting. Win McNamee/Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Integrity Project/Getty Images
What to Know
During the House Oversight and Accountability Committee meeting on Tuesday, Mace asked Crockett if she wanted “to take it outside.”
Mace had objected to Crockett referring to her as “child” during her speech, responding, “If you want to take it outside, we can do that.”
Crockett had criticized Mace’s rhetoric about transgender people, including claims that transgender women use female locker rooms and bathrooms to sexually assault women.
The two lawmakers have since continued their exchange on social media.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday evening, Crockett, who is Black, called Mace, who is white, a “Karen,” a slang term used to describe entitled white women who yell at service workers, or engage in offensive or even racist behavior, such as calling police on Black people without cause.
Crockett referenced an injury Mace said she sustained when “physically accosted” by a “pro tr*ns man” who shook her hand at the Capitol in December. James McIntyre, of Illinois, has pleaded not guilty to an assault charge following his arrest. Mace was later seen wearing a sling on her arm.
In response, Mace, who was raped at age 16, said she was attacked by a “grown man who outweighed me” and accused Crockett of being a member of Congress who does not want to “protect women and girls.”
In another post, Mace denied wanting to fight Crockett during the Oversight meeting, saying that she wanted to “take the conversation off the floor.”
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act passed the House in a 218-206 vote on Tuesday.
The bill aims to amend Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that receives funding from the federal government, to prohibit schools from allowing transgender girls or women to take part in sports or activities “designated for women or girls.”
What People Are Saying
Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett posted on X: “Nancy Mace loves the ‘uneducated,’ as Trump calls them. Please explain to me how the same damn Karen that called Capitol Police on a child who shook her hand wanted to act like she wanted to fight me?! ME… the same person who has represented real killers in court. She’s an attention-seeking loser who clearly has some fundraising goals to hit. And to be clear, that is the only thing she will hit…”
South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace posted on X: “Jasmine, I suffered two injuries when I was assaulted at the Capitol a few weeks ago by a grown man who outweighed me by a long shot. Jasmine, I have PTSD from the abuse I suffered at the hands of a man, including real violence and real rape. Jasmine, ain’t no way in hell you were made to take on the likes of me. Keep talking, though. And I will keep talking back. Or you can just STFU and sit your a** back down. The adults in Congress are here to protect women and girls, and their rights, and you ain’t one of them.
“This nasty woman has no place in Congress. She lies. She belittles women. She calls rape survivors names. She calls female fear of rape a ‘fantasy’ and ‘dramatic.’…”
In another post, she wrote: “Let me be clear: I wanted to take the conversation off the floor to have a more constructive conversation, not to fight. At no point was there any intention of causing harm to anyone.
I was just assaulted by a pro tr*ns man a few weeks ago and am still in physical therapy for my injuries. I know firsthand how the Left is capable of doing real physical harm.”
The Congressional Equality Caucus posted on X about the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act: “Instead of using their majority to actually help Americans, one of the first bills the GOP is debating is a bill to deny trans students the ability to be part of their school’s community, learn the lessons of sportsmanship, and play with their friends. This bill isn’t about protecting women. In fact, it could force any student to answer invasive personal questions about their bodies and face humiliating physical inspections to ‘prove’ that they’re a girl. H.R. 28 opens the door for abuse of EVERY female student.”
Florida Republican Representative Greg Steube, the bill’s sponsor, said in a statement: “Americans are united in our belief that men have no place in women’s sports, whether it’s breaking records, entering locker rooms, or stealing scholarship opportunities. Denying biological truth erases fairness in sports and puts women’s safety and opportunities at risk. Today’s passage sends a clear message to the Senate—protecting women and girls in sports is not negotiable.”
What Happens Next
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act will now head to the Senate, where it will need to clear the 60-vote filibuster to become law.
If the act passes, it will likely need to be signed into law by President-elect Donald Trump, who will be sworn into office on January 20. He has expressed support for transgender sport bans.
