Democrat Al Green Challenges Trump Officials Over Charlottesville Remarks in Dramatic Exchange
Texas Democratic Congressman Al Green grilled Trump Justice Department officials about Trump’s “very fine people” remarks in dramatic fashion, asking them to raise their hands if they thought the comments were inappropriate.
On Wednesday, FBI Assistant Director Michael McGarrity, DHS Undersecretary Brian Murphy, and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brad Wiegmann gave testimony at a House Homeland Security hearing entitled “Confronting the Rise of Domestic Terrorism in the Homeland.”
Toward the end of the hearing, Rep. Green used his time to ask the three Trump administration witnesses a series of questions using a show of hands, first having the witnesses establish that while “Islamic terrorism” is a common term, they had never heard of a cross-burning klansman being referred to as a “Christian terrorist.”
Then, Green moved on to Trump’s Charlottesville remarks, asking “if I said there were some very fine people among the bigots, the racist, the clansman in Charlottesville, that there were some very fine people among them, would that be inappropriate thing for a member of Congress to say? If you think so, raise your hand.”
After a few seconds, Green noted “Let the record reflect that no one has raised their hand.”
“So, if the president says it, some very fine people among those who were preaching ‘Jews will not replace us, blood and soil,’ the president says it, is it appropriate for the president to say such a thing?” Green asked. “If you think that it is not appropriate, raise your hand.”
“If you think it’s not appropriate for the president to say what you just said would be inappropriate for members of Congress to say, if you think it’s not appropriate for the president to say there were some fine people among those folk in Charlottesville where person lost her life, raise your hand,” Green repeated, as the three witnesses remained motionless.
“Sir, I may, from the DHS perspective, I think the way we look at it, and the way we go after these…” Murphy began, but Green cut him off.
“Excuse me please, I greatly appreciate your perspective, but I’m limited on time,” Green said, and continued “So you were quick, you had no problem saying that members of Congress should not use such language, but you refuse to acknowledge that the president should not use such language?”
“If I could just jump in, yes quickly please,” Weigmann interjected, “I would say, for me personally, it’s just not my place as a career government official to comment on what either members of Congress or the president choose to say.”
“But you already did,” Green said. “Too late now, see, you already did. You already said that it’s inappropriate for members of Congress, but when it gets to the president…”
“I don’t think I commented one way or the other,” Wegmann said.
“No you did, you are on the record, you raised your hand, you’re on the record,” Green said, although the witnesses had expressed assent by not raising their hands, or verbally objecting ti the question..
“Here’s the point,” Green said. “We who hold public trust have to have the same standard for everyone. Same standard for the KKK, that we have for persons who claim to be of Islamic faith. Same standard for, and they are not, same standard for the president that we have for members of Congress. If you can’t uphold the same standard, you’re doing your country at this service my friends.”
Watch the clip above, via PBS.
