Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., praised a South Carolina judge Friday after bond was denied for the 19-year-old transgender activist accused of threatening to assassinate her. She also shook the hand of the suspect’s father.
Samuel Theodore Cain, who identifies as transgender and uses the name "Roxie Wolfe" online, was arrested May 15 by state agents for allegedly posting graphic threats targeting Mace and her children. Cain remains in custody, and a trial date has not been set.
The judge cited the seriousness of the threats during a hearing.
"Mr. Cain, I do believe that you are a credible threat, and I'm going to put you in on a no bond," the judge said. "The only condition bond I'm going to put on you right now is no contact with the victim."
Samuel Theodore Cain is escorted by a prison guard at the Greenville County Detention Center in Greenville, S.C., Friday, May 16, 2025. (WHNS)
Mace flew in from Washington, D.C., to deliver a victim impact statement in court Friday morning and speak to reporters afterward.
"I come before you today not just as a victim, but as a sitting member of the United States House of Representatives who has been the target of a direct and credible threat on her life," she told the judge.
She described how the threats forced her to change her routine, seek shelter and request increased law enforcement patrols for her home and congressional offices.
"This meant I was vulnerable. My staff was vulnerable. And my children were vulnerable," she said. "Threats like these are acts of terror meant to shake the foundations of democracy."
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., right, thanks the father of Samuel Cain after he apologized to her for Samuel's actions before a bond hearing at the Greenville County Magistrate's Court in Greenville, S.C., May 16, 2025. (Ken Ruinard/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Outside the courthouse, Mace reflected on Friday's bond hearing and finally seeing Cain in person.
"My first thought was, he's huge," she said. "This guy was well over 6 feet, over 200 pounds. I'm 5-foot-6, 115 pounds. He’s twice my size. It was scary.
"As a mom, this was heartbreaking. All I could think about was his family. And my kids. My kids live in fear about being murdered."
She said she was surprised but thankful for the judge’s ruling.
"I’ve seen how women are treated in this state. I hope this gives women hope," she said. "If there’s a mentally ill man coming after us, we need to stand up for our rights. That’s what I saw the judge do today."
After the hearing, Mace approached Cain’s family and shook the hand of his father.
"I shook the hand of a father whose son threatened to kill me, not out of forgiveness, but out of grace," she later posted on X. "Strength is about standing your ground and we can be humble with humanity."
"I want to thank Samuel Cain’s family," she said during her remarks for the media. "Their humility meant a lot to me. As a mom, it meant something to see them show up. We’re all human. But threats like this have to come with consequences."
Mace said the threats were discovered by Capitol Police and were serious enough that her staff and law enforcement begged her to get to a safe location.
"This was serious. Nobody knew where he was," she said. "Law enforcement told me to go inside immediately. That’s how real it was."
She described the toll the threats have taken on her daily life.
"I face threats every day. This is the second person this year. But I receive death threats from trans activists and trans people every single day. And not a single U.S. attorney in the state of South Carolina or anywhere in the country has taken them seriously."
She warned that continued inaction could be deadly.
"One day, someone’s going to pull the trigger. Someone’s going to get a bullet. Someone’s going to die."
She also highlighted a broader pattern of violence and called out what she sees as a lack of accountability from Democrats.
"This case isn’t just about one man’s threats. It’s about a
culture that tolerates violence against elected officials, especially women who speak up," Mace said. "We do not accept terror. The normalization of threats against public servants corrodes democracy from within.
"Not one Democrat has spoken up to say it’s wrong," she added. "Only Democrats blame the victim."
On social media, Mace shared a photo of Cain in an orange jumpsuit.
"This is not Roxie Wolfe, this is not a woman, and threatening my life is not a joke. Look at his smirk," she posted.
Mace ended her statement in court with a final plea for justice.
"I pray this young man
finds God, who alone can change hearts of stone into hearts of flesh," she said. "Letting him walk away sends the message that threatening to kill a member of Congress is just another day without consequence. It is not. It is criminal. And it must be treated as such."
Rep. Mace's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
