Home oversight listening to devolves into shouting match over DOGE, ‘President Musk’

The Home Oversight and Accountability Committee listening to on Tuesday was slated to debate billions of {dollars} in authorities waste recognized by the Authorities Accountability Workplace (GAO), however first devolved into chaos when one Democrat repeatedly referred to the chief of the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) as “President Musk” and to President Donald Trump because the “grifter in chief.” 

Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., kicked off the listening to by accusing Democrats of declining to take part with Republicans of their oversight plan. 

“As a substitute of working collectively that the Democrats knowledgeable us that they’ve amendments to the plan however are refusing to debate them with me upfront. They stored any modifications. They needed a secret,” Comer stated in opening remarks. “Democrats have rejected each alternative supplied to contribute to the oversight plan. So how am I supposed to include secret opinions that they refuse to share? You could be asking your self, ‘Why would the Democrats do this?’ Democrats say they need to take part in oversight, but when that had been true, why would they do not want a number of alternatives to truly have interaction within the plan for that oversight? As a result of they do not need to take part. They need to stonewall and have interaction in theater.” 

Comer additional charged that Democrats “would fairly hear themselves discuss President Trump and the evil Elon Musk than work collectively on precise oversight that the American individuals are demanding,” including that polling this week suggests “the American folks overwhelmingly assist the work President Trump and DOGE are doing.” 

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Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., speaks in the course of the “We Select To Battle: No person Elected Elon Rally” on the U.S. Treasury Division on Feb. 4, 2025.  (Jemal Countess/Getty Photos for MoveOn)

Rating Member Gerry Connolly, D-Va., shot again, criticizing the Republicans’ oversight plan over what he deemed leniency towards the Trump administration. 

“The sins of omission on this plan are damning,” Connolly contended. “My modification would restore the committee’s correct function as a watchdog, not a lapdog.” 

Tensions throughout the aisle escalated when Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., addressed the committee. 

“Individuals just like the grifter in chief Trump and President Musk are brazenly utilizing their public places of work to complement themselves to the tune of billions of {dollars},” Frost charged. “So if we need to take a look at waste, fraud and abuse, which I am right down to do, why is there a whole silence on the opposite facet of the aisle about wanting on the full grifter that’s the President of the USA and the richest man on the earth…. Why do not we examine the true corruption?”

An objection was raised by Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., and Comer known as a degree of order. Frost contended he might discuss with Elon Musk because the president and Connolly asserted that the First Modification had not been suspended. 

Comer requested Frost if he wish to “revise” his remarks concerning the president, who’s protected by Home and committee guidelines of decorum, however Frost didn’t again down. 

“I am going to say President Musk and grifter in chief Trump,” Frost started, earlier than one other level of order was known as.  

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairs a Home Oversight and Accountability Committee listening to on Monday, July 22, 2024.  (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photos)

Committee members started to shout over each other, till Comer once more gave Frost an opportunity to revise his statements.

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“President Musk and the President of the USA, Donald Trump, who’s engaged in grifting of the American folks, usually use their public places of work to complement themselves,” Frost stated, till Comer stopped him. 

Addressing the movement in opposition to Frost for “disparaging the president,” Comer advised Frost, “In case you’re keen to request unanimous consent to withdraw the disparaging feedback about President Trump, I assume you may disparage Elon Musk if you need.” 

“I’ll withdraw grifter in chief,” Frost stated. “I’ll say the president’s grifting since you spent the final two years saying President Biden was corrupt.” 

“I can say that Trump is grifting. What I’ll withdraw is looking him grifter in chief,” Frost added. 

Comer stated Frost was barred from additional collaborating within the listening to, however Connolly challenged the chair’s ruling and known as for a vote. 

President Donald Trump speaks as Elon Musk, joined by his son X Æ A-Xii, listens within the Oval Workplace on the White Home, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Picture/Alex Brandon) (AP Picture/Alex Brandon)

It was voted that Frost’s phrases must be taken down, and he was not permitted to talk for the remainder of the listening to, however he interjected, “It is despicable that this committee goes to silence me.” 

“Mr. Rating Member, I’ll have the sergeant take away him if he would not chorus,” Comer stated. 

Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., and different Democrats additional shouted in protection of “free speech,” earlier than Comer once more tried to get the listening to again on the right track. 

“We have now a listening to on waste, fraud and abuse that hasn’t even begun,” Comer stated. “The organizational factor simply usually lasts 5 or 10 minutes. We have been in right here 35 minutes arguing over the identical issues…. We have to get to enterprise. If we need to eradicate waste, fraud and abuse, we have got witnesses ready. We have now tried to do that. The talk has gone on nicely past what was anticipated.” 

After about 40 minutes of forwards and backwards, the listening to went into recess. When it returned, the committee heard from GAO Comptroller Normal Gene Dodaro concerning the watchdog’s suggestions for DOGE.

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Frost continued the feud on-line, writing in an X put up, “James Comer can cover behind the Sergeant in Arms and attempt to have me eliminated, arrested, and silenced… However that’s not going to cease me from calling out Donald Trump’s grift and his bullsh–” 

“These snowflakes are actually pissed off about me saying President Musk and calling Trump the Grifter-in-Chief. I assume the reality could be robust for some folks,” he added from his marketing campaign account.