‘Take it outside!’ Republican Nancy Mace threatens Democrat Jasmine Crockett amid committee debate

Tensions erupted on Capitol Hill during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Tuesday, leaving Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett fending off a verbal attack. The scene started when Democrats and Republicans clashed over a GOP move to create a subcommittee that would complement President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to create a Department of Government Efficiency, headed by billionaire Elon Musk.

As members of the committee debated the need for such a subcommittee, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., challenged Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas to “take it outside!” as Crockett introduced an amendment to reinstate the Oversight Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which Republicans disbanded in the last session of Congress.

“During the 118 Congress, oversight Republicans debate disbanded one of the most important subcommittees in Congress, the subcommittee on civil rights and civil liberties,” said Crockett, who criticized the need for a government efficiency subcommittee to work with Trump’s White House.

“Now, in the 119th Congress, the chairman and House Republicans have decided to prioritize the demands of the real president, Elon Musk, and his billionaire friends over the needs of the American people.”

Trump has indicated he plans to establish a White House advisory board, the Department of Government Efficiency, to reduce wasteful government spending. The 47th president of the United States named his friend Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as co-chairs of the so-called department.

Criticizing Musk’s involvement and the billions in subsidies and tax cuts he receives from the federal government as owner of SpaceX and Tesla, Crockett said, “It may be a problem if you are receiving hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government while at the same time arguing that we need to cut trillions of dollars from our debt.”

In response to Crockett’s criticism of Republicans’ move to eliminate the civil rights subcommittee, Mace cited the pro-transgender political positions of Democrats, arguing that they were not champions of women’s civil rights.

“You all want men with penises, chicks with dicks, in the bathroom with us,” said Mace, who controversially introduced a bill in December barring trans women from using women’s bathrooms. “You don’t respect women,” said the South Carolina congresswoman.

She continued, “Women have the freedom to go to a private women’s only space and not see a man in it. Women have the right to change and not be feared that somebody with their sexual perversion, someone who’s confused about their gender, we have the right to feel safe in these spaces.”

In response to Mace, Crockett said, “I don’t even know how … we got there.” She added, ” … somebody’s campaign coffers really are struggling right now. So she gonna keep saying trans, trans, trans so that people will feel threatened … and Chile, listen …” Before she could finish her remarks, Mace interrupted, saying, “Do not call me a child! I am no child.” She added, “If you want to, take it outside! …” before her microphone appeared to be cut off.

Although the exchange did not result in any physical altercation, Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., motioned for Mace’s words to be struck from the official record, citing House rules that bar threatening speech.

Following the explosive exchange, Crockett took to X to react. “If you want to see the difference between House Dems and House GOP, watch this,” wrote the congresswoman, sharing a video clip of the moment.

“My Republican colleague threatened to physically fight me about it. Bless her heart,” she added.