DHS Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen Fires Back at Dem Rep. for Calling Her a Liar: Those ‘Are Fighting Words’

After a roasting by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) in Thursday’s hearing, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen clapped back, calling the Democratic congressman’s remarks “fighting words.”

In his commentary, Gutierrez went off on Nielsen, calling her “remorseless” more than once and accusing her department of an “astounding level of mendacity.”

After his diatribe was complete, Neilsen fired back with equal outrage.

“Only [that] to say that calling me a liar are fighting words. I’m not a liar. We’ve never had a policy for family separation,” she said. “I’m happy to walk the gentleman through it again.

“A policy a family separation would mean that any family that I encountered in the interior I would separate. It would mean that any family that I found at a port of entry I would separate. It would mean that every single family that I found illegally crossing, we would separate. We did none of those.” she said as Gutierrez stood and walked out of the hearing. “What we did do is uphold the laws that congress has passed, and we prosecuted those who choose to come here illegally.”

“As far as not being compassionate, let me just tell you what I have done,” she said. “And of course he couldn’t be bothered to stay so I’m happy to tell the rest of the committee.”

Neilsen outlined measures taken by DHS in investigating and prosecuting crimes, including drug smuggling and human trafficking, before returning to the personal aspect.

“I take personal offense on behalf of the to 240,000 men and women of the Department of Homeland Security,” said the Secretary. “Thank you, sir.”

Watch the clip above, courtesy of CSPAN.

[Featured image via screengrab]

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