Clyburn and Jordan Clash at Fauci Hearing Over Protests: ‘I Will Chair This Hearing!’

Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) clashed over Dr. Anthony Fauci when the chief government infectious disease expert commented after Jordan submitted two articles for unanimous consent.

After a tense back-and-forth where the Ohio congressman pressed Fauci on large crowds at protests in Portland, Jordan asked for two articles to be added to the record about the spread of Covid-19 during protests. Clyburn then yielded to Fauci when he motioned toward the chairman.

“Like I said, any crowd, whether a protest, but any crowd in which where you have people close together without masks is a risk,” Fauci said to Jordan. “And I will stick by that statement — it’s a public health statement. It’s not a judgment on why you were there in the crowd, it is a statement related to the fact that you are in the crowd.”

“Mr. Chairman, I didn’t ask him a question and you let him respond to it,” Jordan told Clyburn. “I was making unanimous consent.”

“And I’m going to run this meeting!” Clyburn shot back.

“I would like a response to what you said,” Jordan said.

“Just remember, I’m going to chair this meeting,” Clyburn reiterated.

“Without objection, your statements, whatever you’ve got there will entered into the record and without objection,” Clyburn continued. “In a gathering, whether you are protesting or whether you are politicking in a gathering will be risky, and that is what the man has said.”

“That’s not what’s happening. That’s my point. People can’t go to church, can’t go to work,” Jordan said before someone yelled he was out of order.

“That goes for the Democrats and Republicans,” Clyburn shot back. “I’ll make the decision as to who was out of order. I’m going to be as gentlemanly as you will allow me to be.”

“I appreciate that,” Jordan said.

Watch above, via CNN.