Amid the sad reflections and bipartisan praise for recently passed Rep. Elijah Cummings, it is entirely appropriate to recall a recent example of Cummings’ brave defense of a Republican friend criticized for a “racist act” by a Democratic member of Congress.
In late February of this year, Rep. Rashida Tlaib caused quite a stir at the end of Michael Cohen‘s hearing when she accused fellow committee member Mark Meadows (R-NC) of a “racist act.”
Meadows was understandably upset in response to Tlaib and demanded Committee ChairmanCummings strike Tlaib’s remarks from the record. As Cummings tried to bring the chaos back under control, he asked Tlaib to rephrase her statement. She responded that she wasn’t calling Meadows a racist, but she accused him of committing a “racist act” by using Patton.
During the Cohen hearing, Cummings took great exception to Tlaib’s suggestion of racism and defended Meadows, whom he described as one of his closest friends in Congress. It was a rare bipartisan moment of support that stood out to many in this hyper-partisan time, one that has been raised as an example since President Donald Trump’s fierce rhetorical attacks on Rep. Cummings that many critics have claimed to be racist in nature.
Seeing as Cummings went out of his way to defend Meadows, there are many in the commentariat pointing to this moment as an example of behavior that should be showed by Meadows and fellow members of the Republican caucus who have notably been very quiet in the face of Trump’s hypercritical attacks on Cummings and his “rodent-infested” Congressional district in Maryland.
Did Meadows return the solid and brave defense of an ideological foe but trusted friend in the same manner that Cummings did the same? Not exactly. He issued a statement saying simply that in his purview, neither Trump nor Cummings were racist.
Watch above, via C-SPAN.
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com
