Democratic Congressman Faces Backlash for Calling for Street Fight Against Elon Musk’s DOGE Office
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. The congressman in question is Rep. Kweisi Mfume, who represents Maryland’s 7th Congressional District.
During a rally in Baltimore outside the Social Security Office, Rep. Mfume declared, “This will be a congressional fight, a constitutional fight, a legal fight, and on days like this a street fight, yes we will stand.” He went on to explain that he believes DOGE stands for “the department of government evil.”
Conservatives on social media were quick to criticize Mfume, accusing him of inciting violence and questioning why more media outlets weren’t covering his comments. GOP Sen. Mike Lee posted on X, “A ‘street fight’ to stop cuts to wasteful spending? Those are fighting words. And they’re not honorable words.”
Other conservative commentators echoed similar sentiments, with some suggesting that Mfume’s remarks were irresponsible and dangerous. The Trump White House’s rapid response team posted on X, “WATCH: @RepKweisiMfume (D-MD) riles his supporters up for a ‘street fight’ against President Trump’s agenda on rooting out government waste and corruption.”
In response to the backlash, a spokesperson for Rep. Mfume clarified that the congressman was referring to engaging disaffected voters in a metaphorical “street fight” to win their support. The spokesperson emphasized that Mfume is not opposed to cutting waste, fraud, and abuse in government and has actively worked on bipartisan initiatives to address these issues.
See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"
The controversy surrounding Mfume’s comments comes as Elon Musk and the Trump administration target the Social Security Administration as part of their DOGE efforts. Democrats like Sen. Chris Van Hollen have raised concerns about Musk’s actions, accusing him of conducting illegal raids on federal agencies with his DOGE crew.
Musk and other Republicans have defended their efforts to root out waste in government entitlement programs, arguing that the current system is rife with fraud and abuse. Musk recently posted on X, “At this point, I am 100% certain that the magnitude of the fraud in federal entitlements exceeds the combined sum of every private scam you’ve ever heard by FAR.”
Despite the controversy, Musk and Sen. Lee have both emphasized that the goal of auditing the Social Security Administration is to combat fraud and ensure the program’s solvency. They have refuted claims that legitimate benefits will be taken away and have condemned any calls for violence in response to their efforts.
In conclusion, the debate over government waste and the role of the DOGE office continues to ignite passions on both sides of the political spectrum. As lawmakers grapple with how best to address these issues, it is clear that the conversation will remain contentious and complex in the days ahead.
