In new, disturbing audio obtained by HuffPost, Republican congressional candidate John Lee stated that he’s “not worried about Black people” in his impending Congress bid.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Lee also made inflammatory remarks about the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and its leader — and his opponent—Rep. Steven Horsford.
At a campaign meet-and-greet last month, Lee can be heard saying on the audio: “They made him chair of the Black Caucus…Whoop-de-doo,” in reference to Horsford’s position.
He followed the sarcastic remark by saying “I’m from North Las Vegas. I’m not worried about Black people. You know?” Lee also criticized the CBC for having only Democratic members.
The group currently boasts 60 members—all Democrats—which means it has excluded five Black Republicans, Lee also stated. The GOP has had a rich history of racist rhetoric and attacking diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
However, the most inflammatory part of the tape is Lee’s insistence that the Congressional Black Caucus is racist. “So they’re the most racist people in the world,” he said. “They have one objective, and that is for the self-domination in Congress.”
The truth is 13 percent of House members are Black, which is about equal to the total share of Black Americans in the United States.
As the publication noted, this isn’t Lee’s first time insulting the CBC. Last year, he called the group “stupid” and just this past August he called it comparable to a “blond-haired caucus.”
Lee’s comments won’t help him out electorally, either: he’s running for a seat in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District, which is 15 percent Black. In a statement to The Root, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Lauryn Fanguen condemned Lee’s words.
“John Lee’s shocking comments about Black Nevadans and CBC Chair Steven Horsford are not only deeply offensive, but betray an utter disdain for a large swath of the district he claims to want to represent,” Fanguen said.
Fanguen also labeled his statements, insulting and disqualifying.