Washington
CNN
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House Democrats immediately tried to reprimand Republican Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana from the floor on Wednesday over a now-deleted social media post that called Haitian migrants “thugs” and “slapstick gangsters” who were “getting their asses out” had to get’. our country.”

The chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada, called on the House Committee on Ethics to investigate what Higgins posted on X and urged the House to censure Higgins for his comments, a major rebuke of a member of Congress. . Higgins told CNN he had no regrets about his comments.

But Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte of California, who was overseeing the Republican floor at the time, told Horsford that the matter could not proceed immediately as the House of Representatives had completed voting for the month.

Before his public comments, Horsford confronted Higgins on the ground and the two men had a heated argument, according to sources who witnessed the interaction. Horsford told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Wednesday night that he asked Higgins to delete the post, to which Higgins responded that he would pray about it.

Horsford said he told Higgins: “If you refuse, I will bring this up. We will file a resolution to censure you.”

Despite the backlash and the eventual decision to remove the post after saying he prayed about it, Higgins told CNN he stood by his demeaning comments.

“It’s all true,” Higgins said. “I can make another controversial post tomorrow if you want. I mean, we do have freedom of speech. I will say what I want.”

Higgins continued, “To me it doesn’t really matter. It’s like something is stuck to the bottom of my boot. Just scrape it off and move on with my life.

Horsford said on “AC360” that he will “continue” the effort to censor Higgins over the post, which he called “divisive, racially charged, hateful rhetoric.”

“It’s not about the next election. It’s about ordinary people in America who feel targeted. Today it’s the Haitians. Who will it be tomorrow? Is it you?” Horsford added.

Higgins is the latest Republican to repeat false claims about Haitian immigrants eating the pets of residents of Springfield, Ohio, led by former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance. The Haitian immigrants Higgins referred to are largely in the United States legally as part of a parole program that allows citizens and legal residents to apply to bring their family members from Haiti to the United States.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told CNN that Republicans should consider removing Higgins from the bipartisan task force investigating Trump’s assassination attempts in light of his comments about Haitian migrants.

“Congressman Clay Higgins’ statement was disgusting and dangerous,” Jeffries said. “The question is why someone as irresponsible as Clay Higgins could be placed on a serious task force investigating the work of the Secret Service.”

“Maybe that’s something that Republican leaders in the House of Representatives need to reevaluate,” Jeffries added.

Democratic Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland, who is also a member of the CBC, told CNN that Higgins’ comments were “shocking.”

“I was really surprised,” Ivey added.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson tried to claim that Higgins regretted his post.

“Look, he was confronted on the floor by colleagues who found it insulting. He went to the back – I just talked to him about it – he said he was going to the back, and he prayed about it and he regretted it, and he pulled the pole down,” Johnson said Wednesday. “That’s what you want the gentleman to do. I’m sure he probably regrets the language he used. But you know, we’re moving forward. We believe in redemption here.”

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Jack Forrest contributed to this report.