Politico congressional reporter Melanie Zanona said Rep. Don Young (R-AK) “physically shoved” her out of the way in a House chamber today.
“Rep. @DonYoungAK just physically shoved me and told me to get out of his way,” Zanona wrote on Twitter, adding that Young shouted “damnit” during the altercation, which happened as she “was trying to interview another lawmaker outside the door of the House chamber.”
Rep. @DonYoungAK just physically shoved me and told me to get out of his way “damnit” as I was trying to interview another lawmaker outside the door of the House chamber.
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) April 4, 2019
A reporter from HuffPost who witnessed Young’s shove tweeted about the incident, saying that he saw the lawmaker push Zanona “while grumbling ‘get out of my way, damn it.'”
Rep Don Young just shoved a reporter while grumbling “get out of my way, damn it”
— Arthur Delaney (@ArthurDelaneyHP) April 4, 2019
After being contacted for comment, Young’s office directed Mediaite to a tweet from Zanona accepting the lawmaker’s apology.
Don Young has called me to personally apologize, which I accepted and very much appreciate. Told him we were just trying to do our jobs (which he said he understood)!
Don Young has called me to personally apologize, which I accepted and very much appreciate. Told him we were just trying to do our jobs (which he said he understood)! https://t.co/4LHu1xOVGZ
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) April 4, 2019
The 85-year-old lawmaker, who gave himself the title “alpha wolf,” is known for striking up controversy. In the past, he has referred to Hispanic Americans using the slur “wetbacks” and once threatened former GOP House Speaker John Boehner with a knife over an earmarks dispute.
UPDATE: This post has been updated to add Zanona’s tweet about Young’s apology.
[image via screengrab]
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