Republican Confronted on House Floor for ‘Offensive’ Post About Haitians

Louisiana Representative Clay Higgins was confronted during a hearing on the House floor Wednesday after he posted, and then deleted, a statement on social media criticizing Haitian migrants.
The post was screenshotted by Punchbowl News reporter Melanie Zanona before Higgins deleted it from X (formerly Twitter). In it, the Republican lawmaker accused Haitians of “eating pigs, vudu” and called Haiti the “nastiest country in the western hemisphere.”
Higgins’ statement comes as the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, has been under an onslaught of attacks after former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, pushed baseless claims that Haitian migrants there were eating pets. Local leaders, including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, have said such claims are false.
Higgins’ post was in response to an Associated Press report that the leader of a nonprofit representing the Haitian community has invoked a private-citizen right to file charges against Trump and Vance, citing the chaos and threats that have ensued since the GOP presidential ticket seized on the pet-eating claims.
Higgins said in his post on Wednesday, “Damned if they don’t feel all sophisticated now, filing charges against our President and VP.”
He added, “All these thugs better get their mind right and their ass out of our country before January 20th.” The post was made to Higgins’ official account on X.
Newsweek did not review Higgins’ post, but it was screenshotted and posted online by several outlets, including HuffPost and reporters with Semafor.
The chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Democratic Nevada Representative Steven Horsford, called for a censure on the House floor Wednesday in response to Higgins’ post. He said that the statements “do not reflect credibly on the House. In fact, they’re inciting hate, they’re inciting fear.”
The motion started a heated back-and-forth with some Republican members of Congress, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who objected to Horsford’s motion.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a fellow Louisiana Republican, told reporters Wednesday outside the House chamber that Higgins “is a dear friend of mine.” He added that the lawmaker “was approached on the floor by colleagues” who said that his post in question “was offensive.”
“He went to the back—I just talked to him about it—he said he went to the back and he prayed about it, and he regretted it, and he pulled the post down. That’s what you want the gentleman to do,” Johnson said, according to the AP.
“I’m sure he probably regrets the language he used,” the speaker added. “But, you know, we move forward. We believe in redemption around here.”
Florida Representative Byron Donalds told Semafor reporter Kadia Goba that he spoke with Higgins about the post.
“I told him my thoughts. I thought it was not a good statement,” said Donalds, a Republican. “I thought he should take it down.”
Newsweek emailed Higgins’ office for comment on Wednesday evening.
Trump has continued to make attacks against migrants living in Springfield even though the city’s mayor, Republican Rob Rue, has called for the rhetoric to cease. Springfield has grappled with several bomb and shooting threats since Trump and Vance first made accusations against Haitians, forcing schools, government buildings and local events to close.
Rue told MSNBC on Monday that he is “surprised” Trump and Vance are doubling down on the debunked claims about the Haitians in Springfield. But he added that the pair are “campaigning and they’re making decisions in the moment.”
“We’ve asked before, we’ll continue to ask, we need help, not hate,” Rue said. “We need peace, and [we’re] asking the leaders of the national stage to speak well of our city and to understand the way their words and the impact that it has had on our city.”
During a rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Trump said that many towns have become “inundated” with migrants and asked rallygoers if he thinks Springfield “will ever be the same.”
“The fact is—and I’ll say it now—you have to get them the hell out. You have to get them out. I’m sorry. But get them out. Can’t have it. They’ve destroyed it,” Trump said. The crowd responded to his statements by clapping and chanting, “Send them back.”
A spokesperson for Trump’s campaign told Newsweek earlier this week that the former president’s comments are “rightfully highlighting the failed immigration system that Kamala Harris has overseen, bringing thousands of illegal immigrants pouring into communities like Springfield and many others across the country. President Trump will secure our border and put a stop to this chaos.”
Update 9/25/24, 7:04 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and background.