Troy Nehls Goes On Racist Tirade Against Black Congresswoman

A Texas congressman who represents a minority-majority district proudly used racist tropes when talking about his Black colleague.

Wisconsin-native Congressman Troy Nehls has stuck his foot in his mouth yet again.

It was announced yesterday that the Progressive Democrat from Saint Louis, Cori Bush, was under the Department of Justice’s investigation for alleged misuse of funds. Specifically, the allegations surround her campaign’s spending on security services.

Bush says she retained her now-husband as part of her security team and claims he can provide services at or below market rate. Congressional ethics rules for members of the House of Representatives permit family members to be paid from campaign funds for “bona fide services” so long as payments do not exceed “fair market value.” Bush says she is fully cooperating.

With this news breaking, it allowed loudmouth Congressman Nehls to bark racist stereotypes and tropes about Cori Bush to CNN. Check it out:

Nehls referred to Bush’s husband, a Black man and an army veteran, as a “thug.”

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary definition, a thug is “a violent criminal.” Obviously, this definition leaves the word open to define people of all ethnicities.

However, given the frequent ways this word has been used to describe Black Lives Matter protesters, the 17-year-old murder victim Trayvon Martin, and sadly, almost every black victim of police brutality, there is an undeniable racial charge to the word.

When you consider the people who are called thugs, groups of black protesters, victims of racist violence, teenagers minding their own business, and flip the racial element, you’d be hard-pressed to find examples of white people being called thugs in earnest by the media (or really by anyone).

Then, he called Cori Bush, a Black woman, “loud.”

He also asserted that Bush needed to be silent to be safe from violence.

The “loud Black woman” trope is meant to control and undermine Black women, to punish them when we express even slight and reasonable indignation, pain, or irritation (let alone rage), and to protect a status quo in which Black women and girls are often treated as interchangeable, irrational problems instead of human beings with very reasonable complaints.

Congressman Troy Nehls’ comments towards Congresswoman Cori Bush perpetuate harmful racial stereotypes and demonstrate his disregard for respectful and dignified discourse in politics.

Nehl’s rhetoric is deeply offensive and has no place in a society striving for equality and justice. Nehls owes Congresswoman Bush, her husband, and his district an apology for his remarks.

It’s important to note that Nehl’s district is 57.7% non-Anglo.

This incident highlights the critical need for change in political representation in TX22. As voters, we are responsible for holding elected officials accountable for their words and actions. Voting is a powerful tool for effecting change and ensuring our representatives genuinely reflect the values of dignity, respect, and equality.

The upcoming election in November provides an opportunity to voice your stance against racism and elect leaders who will foster a more inclusive and respectful political environment. The ballot box is where we can assert that such conduct is unacceptable and that our leaders must represent the best of our values, not the worst.

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