A Democratic congressman is under fire from conservatives after calling for a "street fight" during a rally protesting Elon Musk’s anti-waste initiative, DOGE.
"This will be a congressional fight, a constitutional fight, a legal fight, and on days like this, a street fight," said Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume at a rally in Baltimore. "Yes, we will stand."
Mfume, who has represented Maryland’s 7th District since 2020, referred to DOGE as "the department of government evil." Conservatives immediately criticized his remarks.
"A ‘street fight’ to stop cuts to wasteful spending?" GOP Sen. Mike Lee posted on X. "Those are fighting words. And they’re not honorable words."
Others on social media slammed Mfume, accusing him of promoting violence. Red State writer Bonchie pointed out the media's silence, saying, "Meanwhile…"
Republican communicator Matt Whitlock called it political suicide. "You can almost hear the Democrat party’s 31% approval rating slide further down a hill with clips like this."
The Trump White House’s rapid response team shared the video, labeling it a call to arms against their efforts to clean up government waste. Kylie Jane Kremer, Executive Director of Women for America First, demanded action. "This has to stop. There should be consequences."
The American Firearms Association echoed the outrage. "Never give up your firearms because we all know these Communist Dems are thirsty for blood!"
In response, a Mfume spokesperson clarified his comments, saying he was talking about connecting with voters. "Congressman Mfume meant going neighbor to neighbor to win hearts and minds."
The spokesperson added that Mfume supports cutting waste and fraud. "He’s worked alongside Subcommittee Chair Pete Sessions for two years on tackling improper payments and cost overruns at the Department of Defense."
The DOGE initiative has drawn strong pushback from Democrats, who argue it threatens democracy. Sen. Chris Van Hollen spoke at the rally, accusing Musk’s team of corruption. "We have one message: Elon Musk, keep your hands off our Social Security."
Musk and his supporters insist DOGE is about protecting legitimate benefits, not cutting them. "The magnitude of fraud in federal entitlements is staggering," Musk recently posted on X. "It’s not even close."
Sen. Mike Lee backed Musk’s claims, saying violence isn’t justified. "DOGE just wants to stop waste, fraud, and abuse in government."
Musk agreed. "The goal is to stop extreme levels of fraud so Social Security stays solvent for honest Americans."
Fox News previously reported that the Social Security Administration disbursed $2 billion in improper payments in 2022—enough to pay nearly 90,000 retirees their annual benefits.