A theatrical political protest starring Democratic members of Congress took place Monday at the building housing offices of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
As shown in a cameo appearance on X, Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan called out a HUD worker after she and a group of protesters were denied access to the building.
As the contingent of protesters was being escorted out of the building, Tlaib grabbed the spotlight by screaming above the hubbub that the target of her ire did not “work for the American people.”
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that may offend some readers.
Witnessed Rashida Tlaib crashing out at a @HUDgov employee after being denied entry to the building with a cohort of other House Democrats. @BreitbartNews pic.twitter.com/mwbs1Iza1T
— Olivia Rondeau
(@rondeaulivia) March 4, 2025
Although the audio was of poor quality, it sounded as if she was contradicted, leading her to scream, “No you don’t! No you don’t! You don’t give a s***.”
The theme of the protest was that Democrats, including Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California, came to deliver a letter to Housing Secretary Scott Turner but were turned away, according to Breitbart.
The letter and the protest were aimed at attacking cuts to the federal dole instigated by the Department of Government Efficiency.
Waters was in fact allowed into the building and spoke with HUD staff.
Just witnessed Maxine Waters try to demand her way into hand delivering an anti-DOGE letter to HUD’s @SecretaryTurner while he was in a meeting
The HUD chief of staff was quite nice and offered to have her watch a video of Trump’s accomplishments in the lobby@BreitbartNews pic.twitter.com/4uuB0hLDTy
— Olivia Rondeau
HUD Chief of Staff Andrew Hughes offered to take the letter to Turner, an offer Waters rejected.
Waters returned to the crowd outside to say she had been stymied, according to WJLA-TV.
“We came to deliver a letter to him, but they wouldn’t let us do it. We were stopped by someone who said he was a chief of staff and someone else who didn’t identify himself, and they said he was too busy. I said, ‘I’m prepared to stay here until hell freezes over,’” Waters said. “They’re canceling fair housing funding and civil rights.”
This is what a political stunt looks like:
Maxine Waters was not denied entry
The Congresswoman spoke with HUD senior leadership
Waters watched President Trump accomplishments video in lobby
Waters asked senior leadership to say she was being denied
She departed https://t.co/2NfuKkp0Wr
— Sec. Turner Press Office (@SecTurnerPress) March 3, 2025
In a post on X, HUD’s communications office said the truth was different.
“This is what a political stunt looks like,” the post said. “The Congresswoman spoke with HUD senior leadership.”
HUD spox on Dem CA Rep Waters protesting DOGE cuts at HUR today: The Department appreciates the Congresswoman’s interest in DOGE. While she has questions for the Department about how it is efficiently and effectively using taxpayer dollars, the Department also has questions for…
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) March 4, 2025
The post also said that Waters asked HUD leadership to say she was denied access.
