CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins grilled Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) on Tuesday night over her alleged outburst at a TSA official during an October incident at the Charleston International Airport. The confrontation took place when Mace appeared on CNN’s The Source to discuss her campaign for governor of South Carolina, but things quickly turned tense as Collins brought up a new report from The Washington Post.
The report included video footage and interviews with local police officers detailing an encounter between Mace and airport staff. According to the report, Mace went on a profanity-laden rant, calling a TSA worker a “f—— idiot” and “f—— incompetent.” The incident was described as Mace “berating” the employees.
Collins wasted no time and directly confronted Mace about the allegations, asking, “Are you saying that you never said any of these quotes, that every single one is a lie?”
Mace responded by asking Collins to read the quotes back to her, then firmly denied the accusations. “I have never called a cop an idiot. That is remarkably false,” Mace insisted.
Collins, not backing down, pressed further, “But you’re saying these police officers are lying? Then who spoke to them?”
Mace, standing her ground, shot back, “I am absolutely saying that that report was falsified. 100% fictitious.”