Jamaal Bowman Stands By Explanation He Accidentally Pulled Fire Alarm: ‘I Don’t Know Why This Has Gotten So Much Attention!’

A reporter caught up with Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) Monday to ask if he still stood by his statement that pulling a fire alarm in the Canon Office Building before the weekend House budget vote was an accident.

“I don’t know why this has gotten so much attention,” Bowman said. “I was literally just in a rush to go vote, man! That’s all it was!”

Bowman was seen on surveillance camera allegedly pulling the fire alarm before the vote on the House continuing resolution.

The reporter asked, “Are you afraid of any legal repercussions from leadership or legally, from Capitol police?”

“Listen, I take responsibility for what I did, but, like I said, I was in a rush to go vote and the investigation will sort everything else out,” Bowman said.

Bowman was then asked if he had spoken to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) about the incident.

“Oh, yeah, of course, that’s standard,” Bowman said, adding that, “I’ve got to keep that between me and the leader, so I’m not going to share that publicly. We’ve been in touch with each other.”

Bowman’s story has remained consistent throughout the controversy:

Today, as I was rushing to make a vote, I came to a door that is usually open for votes but today would not open. I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door. I regret this and sincerely apologize for any confusion this caused.

But I want to be very clear, this was not me, in any way, trying to delay any vote. It was the exact opposite — I was trying urgently to get to a vote, which I ultimately did and joined my colleagues in a bipartisan effort to keep our government open.

Max Cohen with Punchbowl News tweeted, “Bowman’s office sent out this guidance to House Dem offices, looking for social media backup on fire alarm situation. One proposed rebuttal: ‘Republicans need to instead focus their energy on the Nazi members of their party before anything else.'”

https://twitter.com/maxpcohen/status/1708896485444600117?s=20

Republicans led by former President Donald Trump called for Bowman to be “prosecuted and imprisoned” for the fire alarm incident.

Watch the clip above via Fox News.