U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace channeled a 19th-century Nathaniel Hawthorne novel when she showed up for work wearing a “scarlet letter” on her shirt.

Speaking with reporters before heading to a House meeting on speaker candidates, the South Carolina Republican showed off her shirt that was emblazoned with a large red letter “A” as she described being “demonized” for voting with a small number of GOP colleagues to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) last week.

SC Rep. Nancy Mace is wearing a t-shirt with the letter “A” on it.

When asked what it stands for, she said it’s her “Scarlet letter.” pic.twitter.com/YQjieZ6w8O

— Gary Grumbach (@GaryGrumbach) October 10, 2023

“I’m wearing the ‘scarlet letter’ after the week that I just had, last week, being a woman up here and being demonized for my vote and for my voice,” Mace told reporters Tuesday. The main character in the 1850 Hawthorne novel set in Puritan Massachusetts, is forced to endure shame by wearing a scarlet letter A for “adultery” on her dress.

“I’m here to let the rest of the world know and the country know: I’m on the side of the people. I’m not on the side of the establishment,” Mace said. “And I’m going to do the right thing every single time no matter the consequences because I don’t answer to anybody in DC. I don’t answer to anyone in Washington. I only answer to the people.”

Though Republicans met on Tuesday to try to agree on a new speaker to fill the vacant leadership position, they were reportedly unsuccessful. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) are in the running, having declared their interest in stepping up following McCarthy’s historic removal after an effort led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida.

Mace defended her vote against McCarthy and hoped to fill the vacant seat quickly when she spoke with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, saying it was “the right vote at the right time.”

Voting McCarthy out was the right move at the right time: Rep. Nancy Mace pic.twitter.com/ACcmOAx3Pd

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) October 10, 2023

The congresswoman discussed her choice for the speaker seat on Sunday.

“I am going to be supporting Jim Jordan for speaker,” she told “Face the Nation,” noting the Ohio Republican’s “ability to just run circles around everyone with regards to policy and pushing forward.”

“We’ve been one of the least productive Congresses inside of 30 years and he’s going to be a workhorse for our country,” she said.

Mace’s “scarlet letter” fashion choice grabbed plenty of attention on the Hill but it also seemed to cause some confusion with social media users who wondered if she understood what the classic novel was actually about.

Is… is she admitting to seventeenth century adultery? https://t.co/fibNzuEOhg

— Rusty Shackelford (@rshackelford14) October 10, 2023

A for attention

— comedic canadian (@comedicanadian) October 11, 2023

This is an indictment of her staff, too. Nobody stopped her? “Nancy, this really doesn’t convey what you think it will,” said no one.

— RepublicanEthicsGhost (@GOP_EthicsGhost) October 11, 2023

That’s not what the Scarlet Letter was about…
It stood for Adultery.

— Gillian Roth (@GilliRoth) October 11, 2023

No way she actually read this book.
Legit impossible.

— Brooke Payne (@BrookeIsAPayne) October 10, 2023

I’m deadly serious here, can someone please explain to me why/what this is supposed to mean. Maybe I’m being deliberately obtuse but isn’t the scarlet letter in, like, the Scarlet Letter about making everyone know Hester is an adulterer? https://t.co/dzB0fBd7eU

— Liz Mair (@LizMair) October 10, 2023

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Frieda Powers

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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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