Rep. Maxine Waters on Sunday said she told GOP Rep. Jim Jordan to “shut your mouth” during a hearing last week because the Ohio lawmaker was not respecting other lawmakers on the panel and was bullying the panel’s witness, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
The brief exchange between the California Democrat and Jordan (R-Ohio), which took place during a House coronavirus subcommittee hearing, quickly became a viral video clip. In it, Jordan repeatedly seeks to question the top infectious disease doctor after his time expires.
“Your time has expired, sir,” Waters tells Jordan as he continues to press Fauci. “You need to respect the chair and shut your mouth.”
Waters told Jonathan Capehart, host of MSNBC’s "The Sunday Show," that she saw Jordan as seeking to bully Fauci, adding: “There was an attempt to basically shut him down by Congressman Jordan.”
“We only have five minutes each. And he does not respect the chair. He does not respect the other members. He speaks over time,” Waters said, accusing Jordan of attempting to undermine Fauci and Democrats.
Waters characterized her style as “different from a lot of politicians.” In the past she has faced criticism from Republicans for rhetoric they’ve deemed excessive.
“I do, you know, take the opportunity to say what I think needs to be said at a particular time,” she said. “And that’s what I did.”
Jordan had accused Fauci of working to deprive Americans of their freedoms. For his part, Fauci said Sunday he didn’t particularly appreciate Jordan’s tone.
"I don’t enjoy those kind of confrontations," Fauci said on CNN’s "State of the Union."
Read more: politico.com
