Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., speaks during the "We Choose To Fight: Nobody Elected Elon Rally" at the U.S. Treasury Department on Feb. 4, 2025. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MoveOn)
Ranking Member Gerry Connolly, D-Va., shot back, criticizing the Republicans' oversight plan over what he deemed leniency toward the Trump administration.
"The sins of omission in this plan are damning," Connolly contended. "My amendment would restore the committee's proper role as a watchdog, not a lapdog."
Tensions across the aisle escalated when Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., addressed the committee.
"People like the grifter in chief Trump and President Musk are openly using their public offices to enrich themselves to the tune of billions of dollars," Frost charged. "So if we want to look at waste, fraud and abuse, which I'm down to do, why is there a complete silence on the other side of the aisle about looking at the complete grifter that is the President of the United States and the richest man on the earth…. Why don't we investigate the real corruption?"
An objection was raised by Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., and Comer called a point of order. Frost contended he could refer to Elon Musk as the president and Connolly asserted that the First Amendment had not been suspended.
Comer asked Frost if he would like to "revise" his remarks regarding the president, who is protected by House and committee rules of decorum, but Frost did not back down.
"I'll say President Musk and grifter in chief Trump," Frost began, before another point of order was called.
President Donald Trump speaks as Elon Musk, joined by his son X Æ A-Xii, listens in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
It was voted that Frost's words should be taken down, and he was not permitted to speak for the rest of the hearing, but he interjected, "It's despicable that this committee is going to silence me."
"Mr. Ranking Member, I'm going to have the sergeant remove him if he doesn't refrain," Comer said.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., and other Democrats further shouted in defense of "free speech," before Comer again attempted to get the hearing back on course.
"We have a hearing on waste, fraud and abuse that hasn't even begun," Comer said. "The organizational thing just normally lasts five or 10 minutes. We've been in here 35 minutes arguing over the same things…. We've got to get to business. If we want to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse, we've got witnesses waiting. We have tried to do this. The debate has gone on well beyond what was expected."
After about 40 minutes of back and forth, the hearing went into recess. When it returned, the committee heard from GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro regarding the watchdog's recommendations for DOGE.
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Frost continued the feud online, writing in an X post, "James Comer can hide behind the Sergeant in Arms and try to have me removed, arrested, and silenced… But that’s not going to stop me from calling out Donald Trump’s grift and his bullsh--"
"These snowflakes are really pissed off about me saying President Musk and calling Trump the Grifter-in-Chief. I guess the truth can be tough for some people," he added from his campaign account.
Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-doge-hearing-erupts-over-democrat-deeming-trump-grifter-chief-referring-president-musk