Trump congratulates Nancy Mace on primary win after backing her opponent

Former President Trump congratulated Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) Wednesday after her victory in Tuesday night’s primary against state Rep. Katie Arrington, whom Trump had endorsed.

Trump, who endorsed Arrington in February, made Mace one of his primary targets after she did not object to certifying the 2020 presidential election results and criticized him for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The South Carolina congresswoman did not vote to impeach Trump after the riot, but he still vowed to speak out against her in her reelection bid.

“Katie Arrington was a long shot but ran a great race and way over performed,” the former president wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Congrats to Nancy Mace, who should easily be able to defeat her Democrat opponent!”

The primary fight between Mace and Arrington was divisive within the GOP. While Arrington received Trump’s endorsement, Mace was endorsed by former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, both former South Carolina politicians who served in the Trump administration.

Although Mace was openly critical of Trump’s actions regarding the Jan. 6 attack, she still attempted to tie herself to the former president in her reelection bid by painting herself as a proponent of his agenda.

Arrington’s loss marks the latest primary defeat for a Trump-backed candidate as he weighs a 2024 presidential bid.