Democratic New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman is walking back his office’s use of the word “Nazi” to describe members of the Republican Party in a list of suggested talking points obtained by Politico.
Bowman’s office sent out “messaging guidance” for his colleagues Monday in an attempt to stymie the Republican push to punish him over pulling a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building on Saturday, Politico reported.
“I believe Congressman Bowman when he says this was an accident,” one suggested talking point reads, according to the document obtained by Politico. “Republicans need to instead focus their energy on the Nazi members of their party before anything else.”
I just became aware that in our messaging guidance, there was inappropriate use of the term Nazi without my consent. I condemn the use of the term Nazi out of its precise definition. It is important to specify the term Nazi to refer to members of the Nazi party & neo-Nazis. https://t.co/DUi92VpUia
— Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) October 2, 2023
Bowman later apologized on social media, denying he personally signed off on the talking points. (RELATED: Dem Rep. Jamaal Bowman Pulls Fire Alarm In Capitol Before House Vote)
“I just became aware that in our messaging guidance, there was inappropriate use of the term Nazi without my consent. I condemn the use of the term Nazi out of its precise definition. It is important to specify the term Nazi to refer to members of the Nazi party & neo-Nazis,” Bowman wrote on Twitter.
Bowman pulled a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building on Saturday morning, right as Congress was set to vote on a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown. Republican Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil confirmed the incident and promised an ensuing investigation.
“We know Jamaal Bowman pulled the fire alarm. Why he did that, it is pretty unclear. His initial explanation, that it was an accident, doesn’t seem to really pass muster,” Steil told CNN’s Jim Acosta.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy argued Bowman should face consequences over the incident. “This should not go without punishment,” he told reporters, according to CNN. “This is an embarrassment. You are elected to be a member of Congress. You pulled a fire alarm, in a (matter) of hours before the government being shut down, trying to dictate that the government would shut down?”
Bowman, the founder and former head of a public middle school in the Bronx, said he pulled the alarm in an attempt to exit the building. “Today as I was rushing to make a vote, I came to a door that is usually open for votes but today would not open. I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door. I regret this and sincerely apologize for any confusion this caused.”
His press secretary also said Bowman was confused by the signs on the doors. “Congressman Bowman did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote. The Congressman regrets any confusion.”