CNN’s Omar Jimenez gave Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) a much-needed lesson on the First Amendment and freedom of religion during a contentious debate on the network regarding anti-Muslim postings she made on social media in which she suggested that any Muslim who holds public office in the United States is a “threat” to the nation.
Here are Mace’s postings that appeared on Twitter/X:
Jimenez began his interview with Mace by asking, “Are you saying that anyone who is Muslim is a threat to this country?”
“Uhh, that’s not what I said. Uhh, and that’s not what I said,” Mace replied.
“I mean, it sounds like that’s what you’re saying,” Jiminez told the congresswoman.
Mace doubled down, saying she was specifically referencing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
“But congresswoman, there’s no indication that Mayor Mamdani has brought any of those ideals to New York City governance or that just being Muslim… brings those in,” the host countered.
Rather than respond to Jimenez, Mace declared, “In the future, when our granddaughters are wearing burkas to school, we’re going to look back and say, how did this happen?”
Jimenez: “An expression of culture, congresswoman, is different than a blanket city policy.”
“I don’t want to hear the call to prayer five times a day in an American city,” Mace whined.
“Well, if you don’t want to hear it, that’s okay. The First Amendment protects [the] freedom of religion,” Jimenez said. “I grew up in a Christian household. I grew up in the South. Islam is not my religion. But I have Muslim friends, who, if that is how they worship, even if I don’t want to hear it, that is their right to hear.”
“In the privacy of their own mosque or their own home, not on the streets of America,” Mace told Jimenez.
“That’s not being forced on you, congresswoman,” Jimenez said.
After Mace again said she despised seeing girls wearing hijabs in the United States, Jimenez told her, “I appreciate you taking your time and explaining your tweet as best you could there, but, you know, the First Amendment is pretty clear on freedom of religion.”
Mace: “I don’t want this seeping into American culture. We have Christian foundations as a nation.”
Once more, Jimenez cited the Constitution, which is supposed to be the basis for all law in this country.
“That’s your opinion. The First Amendment disagrees that it needs to stay that,” he said. “If someone wants to express their religion, it’s right there; it’s number one in terms of the Constitution.”
“Go back to that country of origin. It doesn’t need to be here.” Mace declared.
“Congresswoman, America has a long history of expressing cultures from various countries,” Jimenez said. “You know that. We have seen that play out in generations of immigration.”
“I think we should ban all immigrants from those countries,” Mace bleated, to which Jimenez responded, “And that is your opinion, Congresswoman.”
Those who saw the video of Mace dragged her online.
Thank goodness Nancy Mace is out of Congress. Now if we could just find a way to permanently ship her to Russia where she belongs.
