Copyright HuffPost
LOADINGERROR LOADING Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) continued to blame law enforcement after a Thursday airport meltdown where she called them “fucking incompetent.” In an ongoing tirade against airport law enforcement officers, she posted continuously on social media ― a day before the election in which she is running for South Carolina governor. She also held a press conference and made a media appearance speaking about the airport incident, claiming in each that airport security has failed her more than two dozen times in the past year. Advertisement According to a police report obtained by Wired, Mace repeatedly cursed at and insulted Charleston County Aviation Authority Police Department officers who were supposed to meet her outside of the Charleston International Airport and escort her through the premises. The report says Mace was running late and that officers never saw her car arrive. They eventually met up with her. “The entire walk to gate B-8 she was cursing and complaining and often doing the same into her phone,” one officer wrote in the report, according to Wired. “After standing in the vicinity of B-8 for several minutes with her continuing her tirade, she finally boarded the aircraft.” Her behavior was not exclusive to the police officers. A Transportation Security Administration supervisor said in the report that Mace “talked to several TSA agents the same way.” Advertisement An American Airlines gate agent said “he was in disbelief regarding her behavior. He implied that a US Representative should not be acting the way she was,” the report also said, according to Wired. Mace has posted at length about the situation on X, including releasing text messages between her staff and CHS Airport Security, and between her and Charleston County Aviation Authority Police Sergeant Maury Sullivan. Her escalation of the situation comes as the government shutdown continues, meaning federal employees, including airport workers like air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers, are being forced to work without pay. Advertisement On Fox Business on Monday, Mace claimed she has “absolutely” been targeted at CHS. “In the political environment we have today, there’s no room for error when it comes to security,” Mace said. “We have had over two dozen security breaches at this particular airport just 11 months into this year to date. I’ve been in four airports in the last five days without incident. So yes, I did confront those who did not show up to do the job. My safety was put at risk.” “I have more than 1,300 death threats a year, and so I take my security very, very seriously. I don’t want to be the next person that gets shot and killed,” she added. Mace refused to apologize for her behavior at her Monday press conference. “Did I drop an f-bomb? I hope I did. Did I call them incompetent? If I didn’t, they absolutely earned it,” Mace said Monday to reporters. Advertisement She also declared, “When I’m governor, I will fire people for being incompetent. I will fire people for being lazy. I will fire people for being corrupt. I will fire people for not doing their job.” At the end of the press conference, Mace said directly she will fire Charleston International Airport CEO Elliott Summey. Summey used a noticeably different tone than Mace in a statement provided to HuffPost. “At Charleston International Airport, the safety and security of our more than 6 million passengers, elected officials, and guests who travel through our terminal is our highest priority,” Summey said. Advertisement “I take this responsibility with the utmost seriousness. The men and women of our police department demonstrate professionalism, vigilance, and dedication every day as they carry out their mission to serve and protect,” Summey added. “Their commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety allows us to continue providing a world-class travel experience to our community and visitors from around the world.”
