Photo: Getty Images
Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost (D) was silenced and faced a threat of removal after he called President Donald Trump a "grifter" during a House meeting.
The threat came on Tuesday (February 25) from Kentucky Rep. James Comer (R), the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair, who took issue with Frost calling out Trump and ally Elon Musk for abusing their power.
“People like the grifter in chief, Trump, and President Musk are openly using their public offices to enrich themselves to the tune of billions of dollars,” Frost said during Tuesday's House meeting.
“So, if we want to look at waste, fraud, and abuse, which I’m down to do, why is there complete silence on the other side of the aisle about looking at the complete grifter that … is the president of the United States and the richest man on the earth,” he added.
Comer asked Frost if he sought “to revise your remark with respect to improperly identifying the president of the United States.”
“I’ll say ‘President Musk’ and ‘grifter in chief Trump,’” Frost responded.
Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly (D) told Comer that he didn't “believe that Mr. Musk is protected by the rules of the House or the committee.”
“We’re looking at the — disparaging the president now,” Comer replied.
“But I don’t believe Mr. Frost disparaged the president, I believe he disparaged Mr. Musk,” Connolly said.
Frost doubled down on his stance, again calling out Trump for engaging in grifting.
“President Musk and the president of the United States, Donald Trump, who is engaged in grifting of the American people, often use their public offices to enrich themselves. Someone on the other side was just asking, ‘How would you feel if you called someone else from the …” Frost said.
“Hold off, hold off, Mr. Frost, hold off,” Comer intervened, before adding, “The chair finds the words from the gentleman from Florida are not parliamentary because they constitute personalities toward the president, which, if you sit in the House floor, that’s always uttered by the presiding officer on the House floor, you cannot disparage the president of the United States.”
The committee chair later declared that Frost was "barred from further participation.” He also threatened to have Frost removed "if he doesn't refrain."
Frost said it was "despicable" that the committee sought to silence him.
Watch the exchange here.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.