Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., found himself in hot water Monday after he was accused of perpetuating a racist stereotype about Asians in a now-deleted post on X.
The post had been in response to a CBS Mornings’ interview with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, discussing her request to remove an excerpt from her forthcoming book, “No Going Back,” about supposedly meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The Republican governor, who is rumored to be a potential vice president pick for Donald Trump, told the interviewers she “should not have” included that anecdote in the book, and refused to answer directly whether the meeting had in fact taken place.
It was the latest controversy Noem is facing over her book, after receiving bipartisan backlash for a story of how she once shot her hunting dog.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., is seen in the U.S. Capitol during the last votes of the week on Thursday, February 15, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Weighing in on the controversy, Moskowitz responded in a post on X: “Why am I getting the feeling that she wanted to eat dog with Kim Jong Un.”
Moskowitz deleted the post after some backlash.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks before former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16, 2024. (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Politico reporter Nicholas Wu wrote that Moskowitz’s tweet used a stereotype about Asians and dogs.
In response, Moskowitz wrote that he had “tremendous respect for Nick as a fantastic journalist.”
“I made a joke about 2 specific people. No one else,” Moskowitz wrote. “However, I would never want to be insensitive and feed into a stereotype. He called me out, deserved.”
Wu later shared a statement from Democratic Reps. Andy Kim of New Jersey and Marilyn Strickland of Washington.
“While we appreciate our colleague standing up to GOP extremism, we cannot perpetuate harmful stereotypes in the process,” wrote the two lawmakers. “We thank Rep. Moskowitz for apologizing and taking down his tweet.”
Moskowitz deleted another post on X in March involving an edited photo of President Biden.
It featured side-by-side pictures of actress Sydney Sweeney wearing a revealing outfit on her recent Saturday Live Appearance and the president, looking shocked as he arrived to give his State of the Union address.
The original photo depicted Biden’s reaction to seeing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., at the address.
Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Noem and Moskowitz for further comment.
Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.
