In just four short years in Congress, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C) has gone from an unknown moderate South Carolina representative to the public face of the MAGA movement.
And if it seems like she’s all over your television these days, there’s good reason for it. She’s paying to be there.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show that this campaign season, Mace spent $165,000 for the sole purpose of getting on television.
Mace has recently been on cable news launching heated attacks against one of her colleagues, Rep. Sarah McBridge (D-Del.), who is trans, for using the women’s bathroom on Capitol Hill.
She’s discussed the effort in a series of Fox News hits, speaking on Fox News @ Night, The Evening Edit, and Fox and Friends Weekend.
The media blitz over the bathroom bill has been decried a publicity stunt by her detractors.
But it’s not the first time Mace faced criticism that television is her top priority.
A leaked document from her office published by the Daily Beast said that staffers are "expected to book Mace at least 15 television appearances per week: a minimum of nine spots on national channels and six or more times on local outlets.”
And former staffers of Mace, speaking to Washingtonian, said that Mace’s focus wasn’t her constituents but the Sunday shows.
“She’s not a legitimate or serious member of Congress—she’s just using her office to get on TV.”
She's also using, according to FEC reports, a decent chunk of campaign funds.
From February 2023 to October 2024, Mace made eight payments totaling $165,000—ranging from $7,5000 to $30,000 a piece—to Driver Eight Media LLC for “media consulting.”
And while media consulting can cover a broad range of topics, Driver Eight Media’s remit is extremely narrow: Getting candidates on television.
The firm, launched by a former Fox News producer, is "focused on booking clients for high-profile interviews on broadcast and cable television.”
It also offers media training “to prepare, coach, and train clients before and after each television appearance.”
But it's primary aim is appearances.
The firm's founder, Alex Finland, touts placing clients in front of numerous Fox programs, such as Hannity and Special Report with Bret Baier, as well as flagship programs on CNN, NBC, MSNBC, ABC, and CBS.
Those are programs Mace, since engaging Driver Eight Media’s service, has appeared on.
On her YouTube page, over the past year, Mace shared clips of her on Fox and Friends, Fox Business, Hannity, and CNN programs including The Lead with Jake Tapper, State of the Union, and This Morning with Kaitlin Collins. She’s also been on NBC’s Meet the Press with Chuck Todd and Katy Tur Reports on MSNBC, as well as shows on ABC and CBS.
Whether it’s been a sound investment only Mace can say, but she’s been involved in several high-profile television moments over the past year.
An interview she did with George Stephanopoulos on This Week in March 2024 is at the center of recent media news.
On the segment, Stephanopolous repeatedly pressed Mace on how she could support President-elect Donald Trump, who he repeatedly said had been found “liable for rape,” referencing the New York Civil Court ruling against Trump over a decades-old sexual assault accusation.
Mace discussed her own sexual assault and accused Stephanopoulos of shaming her by asking her about Trump’s case.
“You're asking me a question about my political choices trying to shame me as a rape victim and find it disgusting,” Mace said.
ABC recently settled a defamation suit with Trump for $15 million, as Trump had not been found liable for rape but rather sexual assault.
In August, Mace was at the center of a heated segment on CNN’s State of the Race, where she feuded with author Michael Eric Dyson over her right to pronounce Vice President Kamala Harris’ first name.
"I will say Kamala's name anyway I want to," Mace declared.
"When you disrespect Kamala Harris by saying you will call her whatever you want ... that’s the history and legacy of white disregard for the humanity of Black people," Dyson replied.
"Oh, so now you're calling me racist?" Mace responded. "That is BS."
The segment blew up. During a congressional hearing days later, Mace called the criticism of her comments “fake outrage” and entered into the record a text from Dyson where she said he hit on her.
Dyson denied that his texts were anything inappropriate and said Mace misrepresented them to the public.
Driver Eight Media has also done media placement for the National Republican Senate Committee and the Republican National Committee, though those are listed as media buys and placement, not consulting, like in Mace's filings.
The firm also did work on media production and placement for Rep. John James (R-Mich.).
But not all of its work has been a complete success. It did media consulting for failed GOP 2024 challenger Doug Burgum this cycle.
Driver Eight Media declined to comment to the Daily Dot. Mace's office did not respond to a request for comment.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
The post EXCLUSIVE: Nancy Mace is always on TV—because she dropped $165,000 on a news booker appeared first on The Daily Dot.
