Part of: January 6 & the Trump Relationship
Donald Trump's Treasury Secretary Pokes Fun at Nancy Mace's 'Tits'
At a March 17, 2026 St. Patrick's Day roast in Charleston, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mocked Mace with a crude 'Silicon Valley' joke about her body. One attendee disputed the exact wording, and Mace's campaign did not respond.
Will Folks ·

"In California, Silicon Valley is where they make the computers. In South Carolina, Silicon Valley is the space between Nancy Mace's tits."
, the joke Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told about Rep. Nancy Mace at the Hibernian Hall St. Patrick's Day celebration in Charleston, March 17, 2026, as reported by FITSNews
Will Folks reported for FITSNews that Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary and a fellow Republican, made the remark during a roast-style speech that also took aim at Sen. Lindsey Graham ("The reason Lindsey Graham isn't married is he has no first cousins in the Upstate"). One attendee disputed the precise wording, saying Bessent referred only to "the space between her chest" rather than the cruder term that ran in the headline.
The Daily Beast, which described the comment as "crude and sexist," reported that Mace's office and the Treasury Department did not respond to requests for comment. People, which spoke with three attendees who confirmed the gist of the joke, reported the same non-response.
Related coverage: The Daily Beast · People / Yahoo
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