‘You’re Lap Dogs to the President!’ House Committee Devolves Into Chaos Over Trump Sending Troops to Fight Crime

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A House committee meeting spiraled into chaos on Wednesday when a Florida Democrat called the Republicans in attendance “lap dogs” to President Donald Trump.

The Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a meeting to discuss Trump’s use of federal troops in U.S. cities to combat crime. The tactic was first deployed in Washington, D.C., and the president has stated his intention to do the same in other Democrat-run cities like Chicago and Baltimore.

During the meeting, Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) confronted Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) on his support of Trump’s D.C. takeover and challenged him to welcome similar measures in his own state:

I just have a question for my colleague from the state of Louisiana because I’m curious as to where your bill is. Louisiana is the state with the second-highest rate of deaths in this nation. You are more likely to be shot standing on a random street in your state than you are in Washington, D.C. So my question, where’s your bill for the occupation of the state of Louisiana to keep your people safe if you’re at all sincere in this?

In his response, Higgins began by saying he believed in state rights and considered himself a “Constitutionalist.” That was met with loud laughter in the chamber.

“As a Constitutionalist, I support my sovereign state’s legislature,” Higgins continued, “which is doing everything it can to push back upon the crime rate of the Democrat-controlled cities of New Orleans! If you remove crime stats of New Orleans, Louisiana’s one of the safest in the country.”

Frost then asked Higgins if he felt that California should enjoy the same level of sovereignty, provoking extensive crosstalk between the two of them as they progressively raised their voices.

Frost them called Higgins a “lap dog”:

FROST: You’re more likely to be shot standing in a random street–

HIGGINS: In New Orleans!

FROST: –in your state, in Louisiana, than anywhere in Washington, D.C.; and you’re here because you’re lap dogs to the President of the United States who — during the election last year, we said time and time again–

HIGGINS: Words taken down! Words taken down, Mr. Chairman!

FROST: I reclaim my time!

HIGGINS: My colleague just called me a lap dog for the President of the United States! I move for his words to be taken down!”

The two representatives have a history that dates back to at least last September. Prior to the election, Higgins posted — then deleted — a tweet calling Haitians “wild” and pushed the erroneous claim that they were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. Frost responded and called it “One of the most racist and bigoted posts I’ve seen from a fellow member of Congress.”

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