Immigration and Citizenship

News13 fact check: Graham, Mace make bold political statements days apart

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Two high-profile members of South Carolina’s Congressional delegation made news this week, as each made bold political statements on topics that President Donald Trump has put near the top of his agenda.

But how accurate were U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace? News13 pressed both for specifics both by email and in person this week. Here’s what we found out.

Graham wants Congress to restrict birthright citizenship. Legal experts say it can’t.

Graham this week joined Republican U.S. Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama and Ted Cruz of Texas to introduce a bill that would end birthright citizenship: “One of the biggest magnets for illegal immigration into the United States,” according to a press release from Graham’s office.

How would it work?

  • Specifying who can receive citizenship by virtue of their birth in the United States, including children born to a least parent who’s a citizen or national, lawful permanent resident or immigrant performing active service in the armed forces
  • The measure would only apply to children born after the date of enactment

According to Harvard Law School and the Constitutional Accountability Center, the only way birthright citizenship can be prohibited is through a constitutional amendment. Why?

Because the 14th Amendment — enacted in 1868 to address citizenship during the Reconstruction era — guarantees that anybody born in the United States is automatically a citizen.

Graham spokeswoman Taylor Reidy told News13 that interpretation doesn’t hold up.

“The Supreme Court has never directly addressed whether this requires citizenship be granted to the children of unlawfully present aliens or nonimmigrant aliens,” he said.

Graham has long supported abolishing birthright citizenship, saying in 2018 he planned to introduce legislation to end the practice.

Graham accurately points out that the United States is one of 33 countries with unrestricted birthright citizenship, but his office was unable to provide News13 of any examples in South Carolina where the issue has been exploited — instead pointing to a September Associated Press article outlining the conviction of a southern California couple who helped Chinese women travel to the country and give birth.

Mace plays up Trump ties in Myrtle Beach

Mace, the headline-grabbing Lowcountry representative, is on the campaign trail as she explores a gubernatorial run in 2026. That brought her to the Grand Strand on Friday for a meeting with the influential Myrtle Beach Republican Women.

She told reporters ahead of that session that a fruitful relationship with President Trump and service at both the state and federal levels should make her an easy choice for governor.

And while it’s true that Trump and Mace are now allies, it wasn’t always the case. In 2022, Trump endorsed Mace’s then opponent Katie Arrington in a bruising GOP primary. While Mace didn’t vote to impeach Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol incursion, she was a fierce critic of his actions that day.

“Katie Arrington is running against an absolutely terrible candidate,” Trump said in February 2022, calling Mace’s “remarks and attitude…devastating for her community, and not at all representative of the Republican Party to which she has been very disloyal.”

One of Trump’s most loyal and long-time supporters is Gov. Henry McMaster, who in January 2016 became the nation’s highest ranking state officer to back his first White House run.

If Mace runs for governor, she’ll likely face competition from a slate of primary candidates including McMaster’s second-in-command Pamela Evette.

“I have great relationships with the administration and I have a great relationship with President Trump, and I think that could be a great value, because the next governor of South Carolina needs to be bold, needs to be strong,” Mace said.

Mace said one reason she’s considering the governor’s mansion is to attack taxes and infrastructure.

“We saw the state income tax drop from 6.2% to 6%. It should be zero. We’ve been talking about this for years and we haven’t done it yet,” she said.

Per the state Department of Revenue, the state’s top income tax rate has dropped from 7% in 2021 to its current level of 6.2%. McMaster in Wednesday State of the State address suggested it fall to a flat 6%.

Mace also accurately pointed out that South Carolina has some of the America’s deadliest roads: A 2023 analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data found that only Alaska’s were more dangerous.

News13 will continue fact checking political statements from candidates as races for federal and statewide seats open up in the coming months.