Nick Dyer, a spokesman for Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, reportedly went off on California Representative Eric Swalwell for wearing a mask last Friday.
According to a tweet form The Hill's Scott Wong, Dyer told Swalwell:
"Biden says you can take off your mask."
Representative Swalwell did not take well to this snide comment. He proceeded to get in Dyer's face and yell:
"You don't tell me what to f*cking do!"
Wong reported that he witnessed the altercation, but was not close enough to hear what was actually said. He got the information from Dyer.
@scottwongDC
Swalwell later corroborated the story with his own tweet, saying that he only regretted that his response to Dyer was not more explicit.
@RepSwalwell
Twitter users had a lot to say about mask-related bullying.
@scottwongDC @RepSwalwell "Predictably, he went speechless." Bullies always can dish it out , but can't take it.— Robby💙 (@Robby💙) 1621025064.0
@scottwongDC @RepSwalwell Right, people are going to get harassed now for choosing to wear a mask if they want, mea… https://t.co/W8NChbPAAk— Party of Fear (@Party of Fear) 1621011575.0
@MuthrBear @RepSwalwell @mtgreenee If this harassment is happening in Congress, imagine what's happening/going to h… https://t.co/Oo82Xiuxcc— kc (@kc) 1621006765.0
@RepSwalwell @mtgreenee We need more of this. These wannabe tough guys get by on expectations of civility or timid… https://t.co/4U2E0mqHGz— JB13 (@JB13) 1621005984.0
Several people called for Greene to face real consequences for her continuing behaviors towards colleagues she disagrees with.
@RepSwalwell @mtgreenee If anyone else behaved like MTG and her flying monkeys at work they would be fired instantl… https://t.co/O8MEKIxbfr— Salem Strega 🧙♀️🧹 still wearing a mask (@Salem Strega 🧙♀️🧹 still wearing a mask) 1621006505.0
Greene attempted to put a very different spin on the altercation, claiming that Swalwell "cornered" her staffer.
"Eric Swalwell chased my staffer into the Captiol [sic], cornered him and exploded in anger inches from his face."
People weren't having it though, and immediately challenged her version of events.
@mtgreenee So there's proof? let everyone see it. I am sure the Capitol police at the least made a report of this,… https://t.co/Grl211DwxA— Bill Garland-I'm so blue the color is jealous (@Bill Garland-I'm so blue the color is jealous) 1621010555.0
@mtgreenee Marjorie has nothing to occupy her time with in DC but harassing people and lying about it. Georgia deserves much better.— Gailen David (@Gailen David) 1621013363.0
Many also condemned Greene's ongoing campaign against New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, with some even calling for her expulsion from congress.
@mtgreenee You need to be expelled immediately 😡 https://t.co/YwwOIAxV54— Debbie (@Debbie) 1621007377.0
Whether there will be consequences for any of the parties in this conflict remains to be seen.