Congresswoman Nancy mace is joining me now
She represents
First Congressional
Carolina congresswoman thank you so much for joining me
Today
And thank you for having me unfortunately I'm very saddened about the topic that were discussing today and really and truly
Heartbroken for our nation
Yes well let's just
Dive Right into what happen
Bender Nation
Capital
On Wednesday a lot of us have
I've seen the videos
Of the unrest in the writing that was going on outside the capitol
But you are
In the building at the time
Can you give us a rundown of what was going on and what was going through your head at that time
Yeah a lot of confusion to I was in the chamber for the joint session initially
And it really part of the afternoon being a Freshman I said okay at our first-ever joint session I want to be their Witness
Witnesses and then vice president Mike Pence was there presiding over
Over it and then when that was over when we recess
Going to
Separate sessions with boat
Separately in the chambers usn the US House I went I went back to my office
And at that point time Cannon off
Building was being evacuated because
There was a threatening to jump. Jump sorry to know what the threat wasn't typically
These things are our non-factor Zenit not being anything
Unfortunately there were two pipe bombs one delivered the Republican headquarters
Democrat headquarters
And there was a a cooler full of Molotov cocktails that were also found
But when we were coming back to Cannon our office building
Need to get back in the office that
I meant today we got stuck in a tunnel underground tunnel under the capitol about a hundred other people
Waiting to get back because there's some confusion on weather
That threat was
Was cleared
Or not and then when we were able to come back here to the office
With the staff we were immediately put in lockdown
Because that was the moment that
The rioters breached the capital
And 5 people died that night
I'm heartbroken for a nation and I'm and I'm heartbroken for
Our party
Last Sunday leading up to this I was looking
Some of the rhetoric that was
Being spoken online
And
My kids were going to stay
The whole week
There in virtual school because it covid-19 they brought their backpacks with her
Computers
Their notebooks
After school works at to start the school year off here I'd be kind of cord hang out in a
And I congratulate this to your virtual school and round all the Congress what kid wouldn't want to do that that's pretty neat
But unfortunately Sunday night I said this isn't feel right doesn't
Feel comfortable I am worried
I do feel like some that something could go wrong that there could be violence on Wednesday based on their rhetoric
And on Sunday night I booked my kids out on the first flight out
Back home on Monday morning
And I'm so grateful
That I did
I could not imagine
I would be devastated if my children had been up here
When all this was happening
No I just want to go back to something you said about no being in your office
With your staff going in
Into lockdown mode
What was that conversation you had with
With your staff how did you calm them down and told her what was that that moment like
We were separated initially
And then we found ourselves
The corner office
Longworth on the 5th floor
We all met up there
And sat down and waiting until we could get back and then we got stuck in the tunnel together
And so I wanted to make sure that we were together
I don't want to make sure I knew
Was accountable to where each and every person on my staff
I've been we went into lockdown in the office
Metal Locker doors drop lights
Be quiet
And I pulled the shades down and all you could hear sirens
Outside
4 hours
Anindita in the afternoon going in
Inspiring
I'll never forget the sound of those Sirens because they were so loud and went on
For so long
Something I also want to
Talk about because I think this might be a
Perspective that
People are not aware of but when everyone
Got back into
Recertifying
The election
Results when sort of
The just started
Rosatel
What was the mood like in that room and can you give us sort of an inside
How everyone were
Was feeling the elected
Officials
About to do
People were were certainly worried and concerned and I think it was put there were some folks
Still wanted to continue to objecting
And in debate during this largely ceremonial
Day of the Electoral College certification
Is a ceremonial
What is ceremonial for Congress
It's not a place to debate butterflies on a place where you can overturn
Certified election results is not a that's not the purpose of it
And so the mood was mixed in the room with most of us words
Really concerned and
I ended up
Get to the Chamber of that night
And in the middle of the night to go vote on the
Issues in
Certifying the election results
I walk by the sea
Crime scene
Where that young woman was shot and died
During all of this
And at that point we knew there were four people that had passed away
I found out last night there was a
There was an officer in the Capitol Hill Police Force that passed away
This was a
Very sad moment
Internations
And when you look back at the violence
What's been going on all years about
For nine months
Been happening
Generally with antifa thugs all across the
The country in different cities we saw it in May in
In Charleston South Carolina during the King Street riots
This thing has got to end
And as Republicans this was
The first violin
Event that.
That that has had
Because of the rhetoric on
Barf
The far-right
In our party we need to recognize that we have a
Problem
And
Take responsibility for red
And come forward with Solutions in the weeks and months
The head-butting into it and I and I arch my colleagues
In the Democratic party on the other side of the aisle
To to also stop with
The ramped-up rhetoric
As well if it's not helping
I with the fringes on
On the far left or the far-right
Violence will only begets more violence
I'm overseeing today and this weekend over the my
Last couple months in the last 8 weeks
But rhetoric
Has real Khan
People will take those words
Literally
My life has been threatened over the last couple of days and
Weeks leading up to all of this I was
Accosted
Outside on a
Street in DC trying to get separate
Tuesday night
I feared for my children
I sent them home early when this was supposed to be a historic
And happy occasion for us this week in it and it wasn't
We need you as Republicans be the bigger person be the bigger party take her
Ability
Or what his
Is happens at the America
People
Can start
To trust that we have to earn their
Back in
And I look at the lies and the dish
That were made about the electoral college process
Congress doesn't have the authority or the
Power 2
Overturned
Easter poor overthrow
The Electoral College
On Wednesday on that boat that wasn't ever going to have
Happened because of
You can't do that
The other cons
Constitutional
Massachusetts black and white
But also the other big why that way
Was told and thankfully ice president Mike
Pants put a stop to it on Wednesday morning but the vice president
Doesn't have the ability to single-handedly overturn their
Results of the Electoral College either
That's what dictators do
And we're not a dictatorship we are a
Constitutional republic
Am I pledge my solemn oath on Sunday was to the cons
Constitution and every boat that I take
Every law that I work on
I will be with that guidance
Possible in mind as it should be
For all of us
And so
I've taken a strong
This weekend I'm not going to back down I'm going to do what's right for my kids and for my c***
Their words
President-trump
Davis Beach on Thursday
Condemning the rioters
Quarters that were part of the riots
And said that there would be a
Transmission
Power
What do you make of
The president's comments
I wish they had come earlier in the week
Perhaps Tuesday
Hindsight of course
20 I think that this event
It's the violence
Absolutely could have been presented prevented
And the president did what was right Thursday night to
Concede the election
And to promise to the American people that this will not happen again
That there will be a piece
People transition
Power
That's very important to her country
2 to every single one of
We're citizens of the United States of America
We can and we should we should do better
Is there someone to blame for Wednesdays
Riots
Wednesday's unrest
I think there are a lot of
And when I when I look at
Everything that's been talked about in
Sad and ratcheted up the rhetoric ratcheted up
Particularly November 4th forward
That's extremely
Extremely disturbing to me
As a member of Congress and as a as a parent
As someone who was a citizen of our country it's just not Who We Are
And it's really and truly
An American
Real artwork
People will take
It's unfortunate that that threats have been thrown about that there's
Violence
And I'm just devastated at 5
People died
And all of this when they didn't
Didn't have
I just want to get your your take on one last
A question
In a recent interview that you did you talked about having to rebuild
The Republican party and distraught we've got to rebuild our nation
We better rebuild our
Party this is this is not Who We Are
How are you planning
You essentially rebuild through
Looking party can you walk
Through what you are
Or planning to do
I'm still working through it this is this
Has been not been a lot
Have time
I'm everything happens
The rioting in the Anarchy
Transpired on Wednesday I am starting to think through what that those next steps might be one I want to go through my
The people vote those who agree
And also disagree with what happened this week and my position on
Electoral college
I think it's very important that we recognize we have two ears and one mouth and my job is to listen to folks on both sides their Island
Even those in disagreement within our own party
I do believe the Republican party needs to be rebuilt and that starts with recognizing that we
We have a problem
And within our own Republic
Conference I want to be able to
Bring up these issues
And have
A conversation about it
Part of the American
Experiment is
To be able to debate
Ideas
And an issues as they arise
But the first step that we have
I do when I feel very strongly about this is to recognize
But there is a problem that's the first step
The Second Step would be to take responsibility for everything that
Transpired this week
And I don't really want to hear the argument well Democrats have been doing
Year and they haven't
Well we are better than
And we need to set a better example
The American people
And then work on Solutions moving forward to start to earn
The trust bag
Of everyone
Country and I also going to urge
My colleagues
In the Democratic party is on the opposite
Aisle to do the same
Because
The rhetoric on
On their side and we
We saw some of it this week they're still very
Divisive
You said
And it's just got to come to an end enough is enough and I'm going to be vocal about this issue and shall we
Congresswoman Mays thank you so much
For joining me to give
Perspective of
The unrest that went down on Capitol Hill on Wednesday
And I look forward to seeing
Our country come back together and hope that you
You can contribute to that as well so thank you so much
Joining me today
I hope and pray and thank you so much God bless arica