Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Colorado House Erupts After GOP Rep. Calls Colleague 'Buckwheat' During Floor Speech

Colorado House Erupts After GOP Rep. Calls Colleague 'Buckwheat' During Floor Speech
The Colorado Channel

It was a mess on the floor of the Colorado House legislature after a Republican Representative used a racial slur to refer to a fellow member of the state legislature during a meeting.

Representative Richard Holtorf openly referred to a fellow colleague as "Buckwheat," causing a ruckus and necessitating the House assembly to go into a temporary recess on Wednesday afternoon.


You can see the moment here:

Holtorf said:

"I'm getting there. Don't worry, Buckwheat. I'm getting there."

He quickly added:

"That's an endearing term, by the way."




Democratic Representative Tom Sullivan—who Holtorf previously told to "get over" the murder of his son at the hands of a mass shooter in the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shootingimmediately challenged Holtorf over the slur.

Several people jumped in to keep the situation calm—including Democratic Representative Leslie Herod—before the audio was cut.

Herod and Sullivan shared their thoughts on social media.


Others also were upset by Holtorf's behavior.





After the recess Wednesday, Holtorf again took the podium. He first admonished everybody else on the floor of the legislature before taking any responsibility for his own actions.

Holtorf said:

"I think we all need to consider what we do here and how we talk to each other."
"We all have to do better. I will start with me."
"I apologize if I offended anyone in any way. It is not my intent..."
"If anyone would like to talk with me afterwards, I'd be more than happy to visit with them."





Democratic House Speaker Alec Garnett addressed the chamber Thursday after speaking with Holtorf and members offended by his use of the slur. Holtorf was reportedly reprimanded, but any consequences of his behavior were not made public.

Garnett told Holtorf from the podium Thursday:

"I'm thankful you agree to do your part to reset the decorum of this session.... discriminatory remarks, whether intentionally launched or carelessly said, have absolutely no place in this House."
"Yesterday, the decorum of this institution was grossly breached. I'm sorry to say this is not the first time this session, but I'm speaking today to make sure it is the last."
"...and I heard last night how this one word took a member of this body back to a place that they thought they had outlived... the word took them back to a place that they hoped would never reappear, to feelings of a darker time."

"Buckwheat" as a slur originates from the name of the Black child in the Our Gang serials of the 1930s. The character was explicitly created in the "pickaninny" stereotype—an offensive portrayal of Black children across mainstream media, particularly in the early 20th century.

A "term of endearment" would be a hard bridge to sell.

More from Trending

Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Blasted For Announcing New Additions To The White House Lawn As Global Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump was criticized after announcing that two new flagpoles would be added to the North and South Lawns of the White House—not the greatest look amid heightened global unease as tensions between Israel and Iran ramp up.

According to the Associated Press, Trump watched as a crane installed the newest flagpole on the South Lawn, remarking, “It’s such a beautiful pole.” He later returned to the site to salute as the American flag was raised for the first time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Donald Trump from CNN supercut
CNN

Trump Mocked For 'Two Weeks' Iran Deadline With Supercut Of All His 'Two Weeks' Promises

President Donald Trump has a history of promising to resolve problems within "two weeks," and a new viral supercut mocks him for all the times he's said as much—including right now with tensions in the Middle East higher than ever.

Trump said Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether to involve U.S. forces directly in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, citing what he called a “substantial chance” for renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Keep ReadingShow less
red flag with pole on seashore
Seoyeon Choi on Unsplash

People Break Down The 'Silent Red Flags' Folks Tend To Ignore In Relationships

A red flag has come to mean any warning sign in life, in addition to the literal red flags that are placed on beaches or industrial sites to warn people of danger.

People will respond to situations by saying, "That’s a red flag." But before that language evolved, they'd just call them "warning signs."

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Tucker Carlson
The Tucker Carlson Show

Tucker Carlson And Ted Cruz Get Into Shouting Match Over Iran In Bonkers Interview Clip

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz—a harsh Donald Trump critic-turned-MAGA minion—sat down with fired Fox News personality Tucker Carlson for the conservative influencer's self-produced online content,The Tucker Carlson Show, for the Tucker Carlson Network.

On Tuesday, Carlson shared a 1.5-minute clip revealing that things got contentious when the pair touched on the Trump administration's escalating tensions with Iran.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Barack Obama
Suzanne Plunkett-Pool/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Resurfaced Trump Tweet Criticizing Obama Over Iran Comes Back To Bite Him

Amid tensions with Iran, President Donald Trump was criticized for hypocrisy after social media users resurfaced a 2013 tweet in which he accused former President Barack Obama of planning an attack on Iran because of his "inability to negotiate properly."

Trump has declined to clarify whether the U.S. is edging closer to launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, following a warning from Iran’s supreme leader against any attack and a rejection of Trump’s demand for surrender.

Keep ReadingShow less