Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., was slated to address a Turning Point USA event at Clemson University on Wednesday. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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"I want all of our young people across South Carolina and the country to know that we are with them, that we are all Charlie Kirk and that they will be supported — that we aren't going to allow anyone, or any political violence, to stop this movement or this moment," Mace said.
"We are doing this for Charlie Kirk. We're doing this for Turning Point. We're doing this for the millions of Charlie Kirks that are now out there today, who want to carry the torch forward, and we're not going to be afraid," she added. "We're going to continue to do these things in public. We're going to respect and honor free speech and our faith, and we're going to do it as publicly and valiantly as we can."
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said she is proud of young conservatives speaking up in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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The university also came under fire in April after Mace revealed Clemson had a health portal form that listed 15 gender identity options, excluding male and female.
Though the form was eventually taken down, Mace noted school officials "deflected any and all blame."
"I expect better than that, and even when these professors came forward, we saw a slow response from Clemson," she said. "Luckily, the Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting and did the right thing, so we are going to have to continue to have eyes on and put pressure on Clemson to do the right thing."
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Mace said amid the chaos, it is important lawmakers and the courts step in to protect free speech, and continue to honor Kirk's mission.
"The First Amendment is a right established by our founders, and when we need to step in, we should absolutely do that," she said. "That's what you saw happen in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination. You saw lawmakers step up, come forward, and protect the free speech of students on campuses everywhere."
Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.
She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/exclusive-rep-nancy-mace-heads-clemson-wake-kirk-assassination-we-wont-silenced