'This has to stop': House Dem faces backlash for 'promoting physical violence' at DOGE protest
Congressman Mfume's office claims his 'street fight' rhetoric was about winning 'hearts, minds, and souls of disaffected voters'
By Andrew Mark Miller Fox News
Published February 11, 2025 1:40pm EST
A Democratic congressman is facing heat from conservatives on social media after promoting the idea of a "street fight" at a protest pushing back against Elon Musk’s recent efforts to slash government waste through the newly created DOGE office.
"This will be a congressional fight, a constitutional fight, a legal fight, and on days like this a street fight, yes we will stand," Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume, who has represented Maryland’s 7th Congressional District since 2020, said at a rally in Baltimore on Monday outside the Social Security Office.
Mfume, who was elected to fill the seat of the late Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings, added that DOGE stands for "the department of government evil."
Conservatives on social media were quick to criticize Mfume. They accused him of inciting violence and wondered aloud why more media outlets weren’t picking up the comments.
"A ‘street fight’ to stop cuts to wasteful spending?" GOP Sen. Mike Lee posted on X. "Those are fighting words. And they’re not honorable words."
"Remember when Trump pumped his fist and said fight after someone almost blew his brains out and the press claimed it was a call to violence?" Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. "Meanwhile…"
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