During a Congressional hearing on Thursday, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) targeted a CNN panelist by revealing personal text messages sent to her by Professor Michael Eric Dyson, a Vanderbilt professor and political commentator. During a recent network segment, Dyson criticized Mace for mispronouncing Vice President Kamala Harris’ name, even labeling her a “white supremacist” on-air. However, Mace claimed Dyson’s private messages contradicted his public stance.
On Thursday, Mace disclosed that following their segment, Dyson had sent her flirtatious texts. She even read the messages into the Congressional record to underscore the contrast between his public accusations and his private conduct. “I would like to enter into the record a screenshot of a text message I received from the esteemed professor from Vanderbilt, Michael Eric Dyson,” Mace began during the hearing on Thursday. “After my CNN interview, he begged me for photos in this text. He says after calling me racist on CNN, ‘Don’t tell anybody we look good together,’ and sent me a kissy emoji.”
According to Mace, Dyson’s messages praised her appearance, saying she looked “gorgeous” in the photos following the tense on-air exchange and accusations of her being a “racist.” “If we’re going to hold this standard, you’ve got to hold it to both sides, not just one or the other,” Mace said in her remarks. Dyson, a frequent commentator on CNN and other news outlets, is known for his outspoken views on racial and social issues. Mace, who has also faced her share of controversies, is a staunch critic of media bias, especially in relation to conservative figures.
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@RepNancyMace is a BOSS.
Exposed CNN contributor and Vanderbilt prof Michael Eric Dyson – who called her a ‘racist’ on-air – for flirting with her OFF AIR following their joint appearance on the left-wing network last month. pic.twitter.com/PptiJ188mJ
— USA Features Media (@UsaFeatures) September 20, 2024
During the “CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip” segment, which began with a focus on a black woman running a Trump merchandise store in Virginia, took a dark turn when Dyson shifted the conversation to criticize Mace for the way she said Harris’ first name, which is no different than many others.
“That sounds like self-hatred and justification of white supremacy,” Dyson remarked about the Trump store owner before redirecting focus on Mace. “Now let me just say this, because this congresswoman is a wonderful human being, but when you disrespect Kamala Harris by saying you will call her anything you want, I know you don’t intend it to be that way. That’s the history and legacy of white disregard for the humanity of black people,” Dyson said.
“Oh, so now you’re calling me racist?” Mace shot back. “I didn’t say—” Dyson began. “That is BS. That is complete BS,” Mace responded as Dyson continued to say Mace doesn’t have to “intend racism to accomplish it.”
“No, no, no. You are intending that I am racist, and that is offensive and it’s wrong. And it’s offensive, and it’s disgusting,” Mace continued as other CNN panelists joined the crosstalk.
“You know what’s disgusting to women? It’s her disrespect of women,” Mace said. “She doesn’t know what a woman is, and if at 25 years ago, I became—” Dyson fired back: “White women don’t have the ability to tell black women who paid the price of blood to make this country what it is to tell them they’re not real women.”
“Twenty-five years ago, I became the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, the military college of South Carolina. I fought my way through it tooth and nail, blood, sweat and tears,” Mace said. “And Kamala Harris—”
“Kamala! Kamala! It’s Kamala!” CNN panelists shouted, pronouncing the vice president’s name as “KA-mah-la” instead of Mace’s “ka-MAH-la.”
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