Washington DC - Congresswoman Nancy Mace has been facing ridicule over her ongoing battle to end transgender experimentation on mice, but is she actually on to something?
In an X post shared last Thursday, Mace claimed that animals were being "used for radical transgender experiments."
"This is not science. This is ideological cruelty paid for by the American taxpayers," the South Carolina Representative claimed.
"Our TRANS MICE Act ends it. No federal funds may be used to conduct, support, or fund research aimed at altering an animal's biological sex."
The post was quickly hit with a community note, which explained that "'trans mice' refers to transgenic mice not transgender mice. Transgenic mice are defined as mice that have incorporated foreign DNA into their genome, allowing for the study of gene function and disease mechanisms, particularly in cancer research."
The South Carolina Representative was also rapidly hit with comments from other users who insulted her intelligence and insinuated that she confused transgender mice with transgenic mice.
But over the weekend, she shared a post doubling down, claiming that mice are being turned transgender, and insisted she is discussing "a completely different topic" from transgenic mice.
Are scientists really doing hormonal experiments on animals?
Since Mace first introduced her Trans Mice Act in July 2025, critics have been insisting the research she is targeting doesn't exist.
But is there a chance she is actually on to something?
In a press release for the bill, Mace touted research from the White Coat Waste Project, a conservative animal testing advocacy group that has been working closely with President Donald Trump's administration – particularly Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the National Institute of Health (NIH) and has the power to cut funding for such experiments.
In a February 2025 article for the Gateway Pundit, White Coat Waste shared reporting on a number of NIH-funded animal testing projects that relate to hormones, sexuality, and gender.
While there were a number of different methods used, intentions behind the experiments, and possible proposed benefits, the article described all of the reported projects as "wasteful" and part of "diversity, equity, and inclusion grants."
In the abstract texts of most of the projects, the term "transgender" was never used, and none attempted to pitch any type of ideology. In many cases, researchers outlined how their experiment could benefit other groups, such as women or individuals suffering from certain illnesses.
When she was first elected to Congress in 2021, Mace stood as an outspoken ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
But as her ties to MAGA grew, she became an outspoken anti-trans advocate, regularly mocking the community online and even using an anti-trans slur on the House floor.