Elections
Rep. Engel On Protests: ‘If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care’
Congressman Eliot Engel, a Democrat who has represented New York in the House of Representatives for more than 31 years and is facing a primary challenge, was caught on a hot mic at a district event Tuesday, after another day and night of looting in New York City.
“If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care,” Rep. Eliot EnGel On Riots
“If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care,” Engel, who serves as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz, Jr. (D) at a press conference Tuesday that was held in response to unrest and vandalism in his district related to the recent protests and riots.
After Diaz, Jr. failed to hear Engel’s comment (which was muffled by his mask) he asked him to “say it again.” Congressman Engel proceeded to repeat the sentence.
“Don’t do that to me,” replied Diaz, Jr.
!!! @RepEliotEngel heard on hot mic asking @rubendiazjr for a turn to speak, says twice, "If I didn't have a primary, I wouldn't care."
Diaz responds, "Don't do that to me."
(h/t @News12BX livestream) pic.twitter.com/eQnkzLiEId
— Emily Ngo (@emilyngo) June 2, 2020
Rep. Engel has also faced questions about his absence from his district. He represents New York’s 16th Congressional District, which includes portions of The Bronx and Westchester County, including the communities of Mount Vernon, Yonkers and New Rochelle.
Engel’s district was an epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S.
Later in the day, Rep. Engel issued a statement to NBC News in response to the backlash from his controversial remarks.
“In the context of running for reelection, I thought it was important for people to know where I stand, that’s why I asked to speak,” he told NBC. “Of course I care deeply about what’s happening in this country, that’s what I wanted to convey. I love the Bronx, grew up in the Bronx and lived here all my life. I would not have tried to impose on the Borough President if I didn’t think it was important.”
Engel’s primary challenger, Jamaal Bowman, took him to task on Twitter.
“This is so incredibly painful to watch,” Bowman said of Rep. Engel’s hot mic moment. “It hurts. We need to be taking care of our communities right now — whether it’s election season or not. It’s clear that we need new leadership in (our district).”
This is so incredibly painful to watch from @RepEliotEngel. It hurts.
We need to be taking care of our communities right now — whether it's election season or not.
It's clear that we need new leadership in #NY16. https://t.co/0XBcKqxVrh
— Jamaal Bowman (@JamaalBowmanNY) June 2, 2020
SaraACarter.com will continue to follow events in New York City and around the nation.
Videotapes containing witness interviews conducted by the Democrat-led January 6 congressional committee have disappeared. The chairman of the House Administration oversight subcommittee, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), expressed his apprehension on the “Just the News, No Noise” television show.
According to Loudermilk, all videotapes of depositions have vanished, raising questions about the preservation of crucial evidence. He argued that, under House rules, these tapes qualified as congressional evidence, especially since some clips were aired during hearings. Loudermilk contended that the tapes should have been preserved by the now-defunct Jan. 6 committee and its chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.).
Loudermilk’s revelation has broader implications, potentially impacting criminal trials in both state court in Georgia and federal court in Washington, where individuals, including former President Donald Trump, face charges related to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Notably, Trump’s legal team had recently requested evidence from the Jan. 6 committee but was denied by a judge.
The situation takes a further twist as Loudermilk disclosed that the J6 committee had sent certain evidence, such as transcripts, to the Biden White House and the Homeland Security Department. Shockingly, these transcripts have now been returned to Loudermilk’s GOP-led subcommittee almost entirely redacted, preventing the disclosure of their contents.
The lack of records regarding witnesses, their statements, and the extensive redactions have raised concerns among House Republicans. Loudermilk emphasized that these documents belong to the House and should not have been sent in such a heavily redacted form. The chairman questioned the motives behind the redactions, asking why a Democrat-run House was allowed to have unredacted documents while a Republican committee’s efforts were obstructed. This development adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing investigations into the events surrounding January 6, 2021.
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