Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) accused Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) of a “racist act” in presenting Housing and City Improvement official Lynne Patton, a black lady, as a refutation of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s declare that President Trump is “racist.”
“Simply to make a remark, Mr. Chairman, simply because somebody has an individual of colour, a black folks working for them, doesn’t imply they aren’t racist,” Tlaib mentioned in her closing remarks after query Cohen. “And it’s even insensitive, some would even say the truth that somebody would even use a prop, a black lady on this chamber, on this committee, is alone racist in itself.”
“Simply because somebody has an individual of colour, a black particular person, working for them doesn’t imply they are not racist. That somebody would really use a prop, a black lady on this chamber is racist in itself.”
Watch this change between Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Mark Meadows pic.twitter.com/in1x1s49SS
— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) February 27, 2019
Following Tlaib’s accusation, Meadows known as on Home Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) to take away the freshman congresswoman’s remarks from the file. “I’m certain she didn’t intend to do that,” Meadows mentioned, including that “If anybody is aware of my file because it relates, it needs to be you, Mr. Chairman.”
The Michigan Democrat repeated her assertion when requested by Cummings if she wished to rephrase her remarks.
“As an individual of colour on this committee, that’s how I felt at this second,” Tlaib mentioned of Patton’s presence on the listening to. “I’m not calling the gentleman, Mr. Meadows, a racist for doing so. I’m saying that in itself, it’s a racist act.”
Meadows responded that “There’s nothing extra private to me than my relations,” noting that his niece and nephew are folks of colour. “Not many individuals know that,” the North Carolina Republican added.
“And to point that I requested somebody who’s a private good friend of the Trump household… that’s she’s coming in to be a ‘prop,’ it’s racist to counsel that I requested her to return in for that motive,” he added.
