The Maryland congressman has since apologized for the remark, which Democratic leadership said was the “right thing to do.”
As Democratic Senate candidate Rep. David Trone, D-Md., is facing criticism for using a racial slur, his Democratic primary opponent Angela Alsobrooks used the opportunity to highlight endorsements she received from some of his fellow Democratic colleagues in Congress.
Last week, Trone, who is running for U.S. Senate in Maryland, said during a House Budget Committee hearing, “This Republican jigaboo that … it’s a tax rate that’s stopping business investment is just completely faulty by people who never run a business.”
The Maryland congressman made the remark, directed toward Republicans, while questioning White House Office of Budget and Management Director Shalanda Young, who is Black.
Following the word usage, Democratic Senate candidate Alsobrooks, who currently serves as Prince George’s County executive, issued a press release illustrating public support from Congressional Black Caucus members Reps. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio.
Crockett told theGrio that she endorsed Alsobrooks long before the Trone controversy.
“She has a proven record of being able to govern,” declared Crockett. The Texas freshman congresswoman added, “When we look at places that provide an opportunity to make sure that women and people of color are at the table, Maryland is one of the places in which opportunity exists.”
In a statement obtained by theGrio, Alsobrooks said she was “grateful” to receive the support of some CBC members.
“These public servants know how important it is to have partners in the Senate who understand the challenges people face and are committed to working on real solutions,” she added.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary on May 14 will face the Republican nominee, former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, for the open U.S. Senate seat being left vacated by retiring Senator Ben Cardin. According to the Washington Post-University of Maryland Survey, Hogan has a significant lead in public opinion against Trone and Alsobrooks. In a hypothetical Nov. 5 general election matchup, the Republican candidate leads Trone by 12% and Alsobrooks by 14%.
Though Alsobrooks did not directly name Trone or his comment in her press release highlighting the short list of endorsements, it came just days after.
“It was disappointing to hear that language,” Crockett told theGrio. “But, I haven’t had an opportunity to talk to David one-on-one to see what was happening in the moment.”
Svante Myrick, president of People For the American Way, told theGrio it was very “shocking” to hear Rep. Trone use the racial term.
“It’s a very old-school slur that you hope to never hear again … much less in 2024 from an elected official,” he said.
Trone later apologized for his comment and clarified that he meant to say “bugaboo.” The Maryland congressman said, “I misspoke and mistakenly used a phrase that is offensive.”
He continued, “That word has a long dark terrible history. It should never be used any time, anywhere, in any conversation. I recognize that as a white man, I have privilege. And as an elected official, I have a responsibility for the words I use — especially in the heat of the moment.”
Jigaboo is a derogatory term that was used against Black Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Merriam-Webster defines the word as “an insulting and contemptuous term for a Black person.”
A spokesperson for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told theGrio, “Rep. David Trone has apologized for inadvertently using a racial inflammatory phrase to describe Republicans in a hearing.”
“That’s the right thing to do,” said the spokesperson. Jeffries endorsed Trone in his primary contest against Alsobrooks.
Myrick of People For the American Way said that he gives Trone “credit for owning it, apologizing for it, and seeking to learn from it.”
Though Trone apologized, Myrick said words like that have no place on the House floor and that lawmakers should use “a more civil tone inside the chambers.”
The former mayor of Ithaca pointed to the late Congresswoman Shirly Chisholm, D-N.Y., adding, “There have been so many legislators who have been able to go to work and represent their constituents without that kind of grandstanding.”
“It creates a toxic environment when lawmakers use name-calling like we see here,” said Myrick.
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