Episode Overview

Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Episode: A Breakdown of Nancy Mace’s Years-Long CRASH OUT
Date: October 30, 2025
Host: Tim Miller

This episode of Bulwark Takes—hosted by Tim Miller—dives deep into the erratic trajectory of Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace, focusing particularly on her shifting positions on LGBTQ rights over the past several years. Miller explores how Mace's changing stances mirror broader trends within the Republican Party’s cultural politics, highlighting her move from public LGBTQ allyship to adopting culture war rhetoric targeting the very same community she once supported.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Nancy Mace's Public "Crash Out"

• Introduction to Nancy Mace’s Flip:

  • Tim Miller introduces the topic with biting humor, citing Mace’s latest anti-LGBTQ tweet using the outdated “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” line.
  • Quote:

    “Fresh off her campaign to do dick checks in the ladies restroom at the Capitol, Nancy Mace has flip flopped, and now she’s against gay marriage ... Oh boy, you’re really digging deep. Oh, my feelings are so hurt.”
    (00:22)

• Personal Reflection:

  • Miller frames Mace’s lashing out as rooted in personal unhappiness and instability, cautioning listeners not to take her attacks personally.
  • Quote:

    “Nancy Mace is mentally unwell ... I don’t think it says anything about my happy family that Nancy Mace is throwing stones at it from her broken home.”
    (01:14)

Republican Party Dynamics & The Culture War

• The Shift within the GOP:
  • Miller contextualizes Mace’s flip within larger GOP trends, describing how the party shifted focus from evangelical Christian conservatism to white grievance and immigration, temporarily de-emphasizing anti-gay rhetoric.
  • He discusses the “relative truce” on gay issues in recent years, which is now dissipating as the party’s culture war intensifies.
  • Quote:

    “There was, like, this relative truce on gay issues where they dialed in on going after trans folks, dialed in on immigrants, etc. ... that gay truce is sort of ending.”
    (03:51)

Chronology of Nancy Mace’s Positions (2021–2025)

• 2021: Allyship

  • Mace’s pro-LGBTQ statements on Twitter, support for Pride, and her support of the Respect for Marriage Act.

  • Quote:

    “2021. I strongly support LGBTQ rights. No one should be discriminated against ... Religious liberty, gay rights, and transgender equality can all coexist at this point.”
    (04:31)

  • Mace posts a rainbow Pride version of the South Carolina flag, celebrates missing Pride only because of the pandemic, and jokes about marriage equality.

  • Quote:

    “If gay couples want to be as happy or as miserably married as straight couples, more power to them. Trust me on this.”
    (05:59)

  • Memorable/awkward public overshare at a prayer breakfast regarding her fiancé:

    • “When I woke up this morning at 7, I was getting picked up at 7:45. Patrick, my fiancé, tried to pull me by my waist over this morning in bed. And I was like, no, baby, we don’t got time for that this morning. I gotta get to the prayer breakfast ... That’s an ick for me.”
      (06:40)

• 2022–2023: Gradual Shift

  • Increased emphasis on “protecting the status of marriage regardless of your ... sexual orientation.”
  • Mace repeatedly references her support for gay marriage and the LGBTQ community, but there’s an increasing note of personal bitterness and division.

• 2024: Anti-Trans Pivot & Hostility

  • Mace pivots aggressively to anti-trans rhetoric, particularly targeting trans women and bathroom access.

  • Quote:

    “Trans women are not women. She’s pissed about this. Now she’s going after them ... she wants to really do cup checks herself.”
    (09:34)

  • Noteworthy Twitter exchange with Brad Palumbo, a right-wing gay commentator:

    • Mace: “I voted for gay marriage twice, in fact. And I would do it again, but that doesn’t mean your balls have the right to be in my bathroom.”
      (11:53)

  • Predictive response from a Twitter user (“Boots”):

    • “You’re gonna be against gay rights as soon as it becomes socially advantageous.”
      (12:35)
    • Miller calls out the prescience and accuracy of this prediction.

• 2025: Open Hostility & Pandering to the Far Right

  • Mace reverses public positions, uses “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” rhetoric.
  • No more posting of Pride flags; replaces with American flags in response to Pride Month.
  • Miller summarizes this as both volatile and opportunistic, emblematic of a broader trend within the party.

Commentary on Political Opportunism & Cultural Backlash

• Warning to South Carolina Voters:

  • Miller cautions about electing unpredictable politicians, referencing Mace’s erratic behavior as unfit for governorship.
  • Quote:

    “If you elect her governor, who the hell knows what could look like four years from now ... that’s not really a place you want your governor to be.”
    (15:00)

• Shifting Polls & Social Acceptance:

  • Miller points to recent polling showing declining support for gay marriage (down to 54% in one poll), warning this reopening of anti-gay rhetoric may embolden other politicians.

• Cyclical GOP Strategy:

  • Asserts that those who “closeted” anti-gay views are increasingly willing to express them, and opportunists like Mace will “jump on that” for cultural right-wing credibility.
  • Quote:

    “If there’s room to go after a group politically, people end up going after them.”
    (16:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Nancy Mace is mentally unwell ... This is a deeply sad woman just looking for attention.” (01:17)
• “Donald Trump just jumps into the party, the Kool Aid man breaking through the wall ... and it jumbles everything.” (02:32)
• “If gay couples want to be as happy or as miserably married as straight couples, more power to them. Trust me on this.” (05:59)
• “She’s a one person bulldog going after trans women.” (09:36)
• “You’re gonna be against gay rights as soon as it becomes socially advantageous.” (12:35, Twitter user ‘Boots’, cited approvingly by Miller)
• “If you elect her governor, who the hell knows what could look like four years from now ... she might be gay or totally deranged, going to execute people.” (15:06)—Miller’s characteristic hyperbole and dark humor
• “I wish ... we could just roll back the clock to that beautiful day in June of 2021 when she wanted to celebrate overcoming challenges with her friends in the LGBTQ community ... But I don’t think she’s going to get that.” (17:10)

Timeline: Nancy Mace’s Shifting Positions

• 2021: Loud pro-LGBTQ rights, pro-trans equality rhetoric; public Pride celebrations (04:31–06:40)
• 2022–2023: Ongoing support but more caveats and personal bitterness (09:01–09:50)
• 2024: Increasing anti-trans language; focuses on bathrooms and policing access (09:34–12:35)
• Late 2024–2025: Aligns with far-right, anti-gay marriage talking points; abandons LGBTQ support for MAGA cred (13:00–17:10)

Conclusion: Context and Larger Implications

• Miller frames Mace's trajectory as symbolic of the Republican Party's renewed embrace of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, driven by both personal instability and calculated political opportunism.
• Final advice to LGBTQ listeners: Don’t take Mace personally—her behavior is more about her own needs than any shift in societal values, though vigilance is warranted in the current climate.

This summary captures Miller’s sardonic, irreverent tone and the episode’s sharp critique of both Mace and broader GOP culture war strategies, marking it as both an analysis of a political figure and a cautionary tale for political and cultural observers.