Tom Rice

Hugh Thompson Rice, Jr.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 2013
Preceded by	None
Born	August 4, 1957 Charleston, South Carolina
Political party	Republican
Children	3

Hugh Thompson Rice, Jr. (born August 4, 1957), is the current United States Representative for South Carolina's 7th district since its establishment in 2013. He is a wealthy attorney whom Trump described as “a total fool ... laughed at in Washington.”

In March 2022, Rice called Trump a "would-be tyrant" and Rice drew an analogy between the pro-Trump rally on January 6, 2021 in the Capitol to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as follows:

“

If you want a congressman who supports political violence in Ukraine or in the United States Capitol, who supports party over country, who supports a would-be tyrant over the constitution, and who makes decisions based solely on re-election, then [Hice's primary opponent] Russell Fry is your candidate.

”

Tenure

Rice was a run-of the mill Republican who did not have really any stand-out votes that broke from most Republicans until 2021. In 2021, he voted to object to both Pennsylvania and Arizona electoral votes. He was however a turncoat and later voted for the second impeachment of President Donald Trump, along with nine other Republican representatives, including Liz Cheney of Wyoming. In response, South Carolina Republicans censured him.