Overview

• Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) referred to Rep. Al Green (D-TX) as 'boy,' a term historically recognized as a racial slur against Black men, during an interview on the FAME Ministries podcast.
• Harshbarger claimed Green's cane, which he uses as a mobility aid, was a 'prop' and suggested it might hide a gun, echoing earlier remarks by Rep. Lauren Boebert, who called it a 'pimp cane.'
• The comments have drawn widespread criticism from Democratic figures, including calls for censure from leaders such as Jerrold Dagen and Fred Wellman.
• Harshbarger also made derogatory remarks about LGBT+ individuals in the same podcast, referring to White House staffers as 'fairies.'
• Despite the backlash, formal disciplinary action against Harshbarger is considered unlikely due to the Republican majority in the House of Representatives.