On Sunday, Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace from South Carolina appeared on ABC's "This Week" for an interview with anchor George Stephanopoulos. The interview took an unexpected turn when Stephanopoulos brought up Mace's past endorsement of former President Donald Trump and questioned how she could support someone who has been accused of rape.
Mace, a rape survivor herself, felt personally attacked by Stephanopoulos' line of questioning and expressed her disappointment in his attempt to "shame" her for her political choices. She called on women's groups and ABC executives to demand an apology from Stephanopoulos for his inappropriate and disrespectful behavior.
However, ABC declined to comment on whether there would be an apology from Stephanopoulos. The network stood by his interview, stating that he did his job by asking relevant and important questions.
Fox News Digital reached out to several leading women's groups, but none called for an apology from Stephanopoulos. RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, praised Mace and other public figures for speaking out about their experiences with sexual violence, highlighting the difficult journey they face in being judged for their actions.
During the interview, Stephanopoulos brought up the fact that Trump has been accused of rape by several women, including former columnist E. Jean Carroll who alleges he raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. Mace responded by saying that while she was raped at the age of 16, she chose not to come forward because of the shame and judgment that comes with being a victim of sexual violence.
Stephanopoulos argued that his question was not about shaming Mace, but rather about the allegations against Trump. Mace refused to answer his question, stating that he was trying to shame her as a rape survivor, and found it "disgusting."
There was also a discrepancy in Stephanopoulos' question, as he mentioned that Trump was found liable for rape and defamation by a federal jury, but Mace clarified that he was not found guilty of rape in any court case. This raises questions about the accuracy of Stephanopoulos' question and whether he will correct it in future interviews.
Mace appeared on "The Faulkner Focus" the following day to discuss the incident and expressed her shock and dismay at the line of questioning from Stephanopoulos. She also pointed out the hypocrisy in how rape accusations are treated differently depending on political affiliation, stating "rape is wrong unless you're a Republican."
Senior fellow for the Independent Women's Forum, Beverly Hallberg, also condemned Stephanopoulos' interview tactics. She criticized the anchor for surprising Mace with a clip of her discussing her rape without warning or compassion, and called it "flat out wrong."
Stephanopoulos, who rose to fame as a top aide to President Clinton, has faced similar criticism in the past for his close ties to the Clintons. In 2016, he pulled out of moderating debates after it was revealed that he had donated $75,000 to the Clinton Foundation.
The issue of sexual violence and how it is addressed and handled in the media is an important and sensitive topic. The way in which Stephanopoulos approached the subject with Mace has sparked a larger conversation about the unwarranted judgment and shame that rape survivors often face, and the responsibility of journalists to approach these matters sensitively and ethically.
Stephanopoulos has yet to comment on the incident, but the interview and aftermath have sparked important discussions about the treatment of rape and sexual violence survivors in the media, and the responsibility of journalists to handle these sensitive topics with care.