Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) is doubling down after questioning Chinese American Rep. Judy Chu’s (D-Calif.) loyalty to the US.
“Democrat @RepJudyChu: Voted AGAINST committee to investigate China. Named ‘Honorary Chairwoman’ of CCP front group. It’s not ‘xenophobic’ to question where her loyalty lies,” Gooden wrote in a tweet on Sunday citing a report from conservative outlet ‘The Daily Caller‘
This comes after Lance received bipartisan pushback for questioning Chu’s loyalty to the US during an interview on Fox News earlier this month and suggested that she should not get security clearance or access to classified briefings.
“I question her either loyalty or competence,” Gooden said. “If she doesn’t realize what’s going on, then she’s totally out of touch with one of her core constituencies. I’m really disappointed and shocked that someone like Judy Chu would have a security clearance and entitled to confidential intelligence briefings until this is figured out.”
Chu issued a statement at their time calling Gooden’s comments “outrageous” and “racist,” according to NBC News.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a statement that Gooden’s accusations against Chu was “dangerous, unconscionable and xenophobic.”
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), the chairman of the China select committee also condemned Gooden, telling CBS ‘Face the Nation’ on Sunday that “we should not question anybody’s loyalty to the United States. I think that is out of bounds. It’s beyond the pale.”
[Image by Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call]