Michael Eric Dyson calls Nancy Mace a 'bigot' after congresswoman releases 'flirty' texts he sent to her

A South Carolina Republican revealed this week a liberal CNN guest sent her what she described as "flirty" text messages following a heated panel discussion on Kamala Harris, leading to an online feud between the two.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., appeared on a CNN panel with liberal author and academic Michael Eric Dyson in Aug. 15. Mace irked Dyson and another guest after mispronouncing Harris' first name, with Dyson claiming it was part of a "history and legacy of White disregard for the humanity of Black people."

The two spoke over one another repeatedly and Mace said Dyson had essentially called her racist. Yet after the tense segment, Mace received text messages from Dyson that were friendlier than their on-air exchange.

"Shh don't tell anybody. We look good together!" Dyson sent with pictures of the pair of them, followed with laughing-out-loud and kissing emojis. After the congresswoman laughed at the message, Dyson complimented Mace on her looks, citing her "gorgeousness."

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Mace entered the texts into the congressional record on Thursday, as part of a discussion pointing out Democrats who have also mispronounced Harris' first name. Some of the vice president's backers have suggested her opponents deliberately say her name wrong – it's pronounced COMMA-la, not ka-MAL-ah – as a subtle form of racism.

"Bill Clinton along with Al Sharpton, rapper Lil John — let’s not forget that Joe Biden can’t say her name right, neither can Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor," Mace said on Thursday.

"I would like to also enter into the record a screenshot of a text message I received from the esteemed professor from Vanderbilt, Michael Eric Dyson, after my CNN interview, begged me for photos. In this text, he says, after calling me racist on CNN, ‘shh don’t tell anybody, we look good together.’ And sent me a kissy emoji," Mace added. "The guy says I’m gorgeous in all these photos. I don’t think he’s that bent out of shape on how anyone pronounces Kamala. And if we’re going to have that standard, you got to hold it to both sides, not just one or the other."

Following Mace submitting the texts in a moment that quickly went viral, Dyson hit back and called Mace a "bigot and racist."

"The ridiculous lies told by Nancy Mace in the effort to smear my name because of her anger at being checked for her insensitive disregard for @VP … I had no intent with her to do anything but be nice," he wrote on X. "And her white women’s tears and mendacity are all in the service of lies and distortions. I was wrong about one thing: she IS a bigot and racist."

Mace responded on her personal X account, "Disregarding a woman’s feelings by attributing them solely to being a ‘white woman’ is not only racist but misogynistic. His comments were inappropriate (once again). Apologize, take responsibility and stop shifting blame onto the victim. ALL women are sick of this sh*t."

She also posted on her congressional account, "Second racially fueled meltdown; waiting on another flirty text."

Mace elaborated on the strange saga in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"This is peak Leftist hysteria and hypocrisy," she said. "As a woman, I’m disgusted by his vile and irresponsible response—straight-up victim blaming and victim shaming. It’s like George Stephanopoulos all over again. The real question is: will his network’s management actually step up and hold him accountable?" 

CNN noted Dyson is not employed by the network as a contributor and declined additional comment.

Dyson didn't respond to a request for additional comment.

Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this report

Elizabeth Heckman is a digital production assistant with Fox News.