Former staffers of Nancy Mace say they are increasingly worried about the South Carolina Republican’s mental health, describing a lawmaker who has become isolated, erratic, and consumed by her own public image.
Mace, who has built a national profile through viral moments and confrontational politics, has burned through aides and allies during her short time in Congress. But even some of the former staffers who say they strongly dislike her now express concern that something deeper is wrong.
“Looking at the floor speech and what went on there, it’s very clear that that was the breaking point to me,” one former staffer told New York Magazine, referring to Mace’s February House speech in which she accused her ex-fiancé of physical and sexual assault. “The whole frame shifted. She centered herself in it all. That’s when it became apparent to me that this is broken.”
Another former aide was more blunt: “She’s deteriorated. And it sucks.”
Mace followed the speech with a highly publicized October confrontation with police at Charleston International Airport — an episode that further alarmed people who had worked closely with her. Former staffers said Republicans once viewed her appetite for risk and attention as assets, even when her behavior veered into the bizarre. But those same traits now strike insiders as warning signs.
“Something’s broken,” one former staffer said. “The motherboard’s fried. We’re short-circuiting somewhere.”
According to multiple accounts, Mace routinely blurred professional boundaries. Former aides said she ordered staffers to bring alcohol to her home to keep parties going late into the night, and had them clean her Airbnb rental properties rather than paying for a maid. Several said she obsessively monitored her online reputation and directed staffers to create burner accounts to praise her or defend her on Reddit — including forums focused on the “hottest women in Congress.”
“We were scared of her,” one former aide said. “She would make staffers cry. She would threaten to fire them, take their money away, deny raises, deny days off, even religious days.”
Another described the psychological toll of working for her: “The closer you get to her, the harder she messes up your brain. It’s a classic story of never meet your heroes.”
Former staffers also raised concerns about Mace’s drinking and cannabis use, which some described as excessive. All agreed she was an exceptionally difficult boss.
“After six months I was like, ‘This is one of the worst people I’ve ever met,’” one former staffer said. “I’m going back to South Carolina.”
The fallout has been political as well as personal. Since her airport outburst, Mace’s support in the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary has dropped sharply, placing her in the middle or lower tier of contenders. She is also under scrutiny from the House Ethics Committee over her lodging expenses.
One longtime associate, however, said the concern isn’t rooted in resentment.
“Unlike her disgruntled ex-staffer crew, I actually don’t hate her,” said Austin McCubbin, a former consultant. “I want the best for her. I think the best thing for her is to no longer be in the media all the time — and to enjoy private life outside of electoral politics.”
