Leave it to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who once blamed the COVID-19 pandemic on “Chinese culture” and denied the existence of systemic racism, to invoke racially insensitive language to describe a Capitol Hill power struggle.
That’s right, “Big Bad John” has drawn the ire of Native American groups for referring to his Republican colleagues in the House as a “bunch of wild Indians” because of their embarrassing inability to elect a new speaker, according to the Express-News.
Cornyn, who made the comment last week on a call with reporters, earned a tongue lashing from the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and Texas’ Alabama-Coushatta Tribe, both of whom described his choice of words as “derogatory,” the daily reports.
“It perpetuates damaging stereotypes about our diverse and vibrant American Indian and Alaska Native communities,” NCAI President Fawn Sharp said in a press statement. Sharp also urged Cornyn to “seize this moment as an opportunity to educate himself about the rich history, struggles, accomplishments and dignity of Native peoples.
U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-California, was more blunt in his assessment, likening Cornyn to the bigoted blowhard at the center of the classic TV show All in the Family.
“You sound like Archie Bunker,” the congressman tweeted.
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This article appears in Nov 1-14, 2023.
