Dem slams GOP colleague's 'hateful rhetoric' and says 'racist intolerance' must stop

A racially charged attack on Haitian immigrants Wednesday by Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) drew a strong rebuke from the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus hours later, who called on the "hateful rhetoric to stop.”

“It’s this type of racist intolerance, this divisive rhetoric that must stop,” Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) told Anderson Cooper in an interview Wednesday evening. “It’s time to turn the page, as Vice President Kamala Harris has said, against this divisiveness that pits one group of Americans against another.”

Horsford, who filed a resolution to censure Higgins, said he tried to compel the Louisiana congressman in a confrontation today on the House floor “how his words are affecting the lives of actual people today.”

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“And I asked him specifically to remove his post and he’s like ‘I’m going to pray about it.’ What do you need to pray about? Just do what is right and stop this hateful rhetoric that is causing people to feel targeted. He told me no.”

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Horsford told the CNN host that the “made-up stories” by former President Donald Trump, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and other MAGA extremists have upended the lives of the Haitian community, including Haitian-American children who he said are in fear of going to school.

“It’s not even true what they’re saying,” he added.

Higgins for his part told CNN he stood by his comments, which he defended as freedom of speech.

“Today it’s the Haitians. Who will it be tomorrow? Will it be you?” Horsford asked.

Horsford comments were sparked by a social media post that Higgins wrote that attacked Haitian immigrants who filed criminal charges against former President Donald Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance (OH) for falsely accusing them of eating local residents' pets.

Horsford’s censure resolution was immediately blocked by Republicans, with House Speaker Mike Johnson standing behind Higgins and describing him as “a dear friend” and “very principled man.”

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