In a surprising move at a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) revealed private messages sent to her by Michael Eric Dyson, a professor and frequent CNN guest.
During the hearing, Mace displayed the messages as evidence of Dyson's allegedly flirtatious behavior following his critical remarks about her on CNN, as Breitbart reports.
According to Mace, the texts followed an appearance the two had made on a CNN segment in August. The exchange took place after Dyson criticized Mace for mispronouncing Vice President Kamala Harris's name. Following that segment, Dyson allegedly sent Mace messages complimenting her appearance and expressing interest in her.
At the hearing, Mace made the texts a part of the official congressional record, explaining that Dyson had sent her messages that crossed a line after criticizing her on air. One of the messages, Mace explained, included a kiss emoji and a statement about how the two of them "look good together," which she shared with her colleagues.
On social media, Mace escalated the situation by posting screenshots of Dyson's texts. In these messages, Dyson told her that she was "gorgeous" and credited her appearance for making their shared photos look better.
Following Mace’s public release of the texts, Dyson responded online. He acknowledged sending the messages but rejected Mace’s characterization, stating that his intent was to be kind, not flirtatious.
Dyson did not let Mace’s portrayal go unchallenged. He took to social media, particularly Instagram and X, to clarify his version of events. He stated that Mace's portrayal of their interaction was both misleading and an attempt to damage his reputation. In his online posts, he expressed frustration with Mace, accusing her of weaponizing the situation to distract from his initial critique of her. He claimed that Mace had used "white women's tears" to distort the narrative and labeled her a "racist" in his posts.
The liberal commentator's criticism came after he publicly condemned Mace for her mispronunciation of Kamala Harris's name during the CNN broadcast. His posts also suggest that the public release of the private messages was part of a broader attempt to discredit him.
Unfazed by Dyson’s defense, Mace continued her public criticism of him. In a series of social media posts, she mocked Dyson’s behavior, contrasting it with what she said was more respectful conduct from conservative men. She posted memes and sarcastic commentary about how men on the political left behave when interacting with women.
In one of her posts, Mace joked that conservative men would at least buy a woman a drink or pull out her chair before making flirtatious comments. She used this comparison to draw a sharp distinction between Dyson's alleged behavior and that of men on her side of the political spectrum. The back-and-forth between the two figures has captured public attention, particularly on social media platforms, where the debate over their messages continues to play out.
The dispute between Mace and Dyson has become a topic of widespread discussion online, as people react to both sides of the story. Mace’s social media posts, along with Dyson’s public responses, have created a charged atmosphere, with followers from both sides weighing in on the matter.
Dyson, while defending his texts as friendly and harmless, continued to push back against Mace’s accusations of flirtation. His claims that Mace used her influence to paint him in a negative light have been met with both support and criticism from different corners of the internet.
Meanwhile, Mace’s posts, which have included a mix of screenshots and memes, suggest that she sees the controversy as an example of larger cultural divides between conservatives and progressives. As the online exchanges continue, it remains to be seen whether the issue will be resolved privately or continue to play out in the public eye.
