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.
"Predictably, he went speechless." Bullies always can dish it out , but can't take it.— Robby\ud83d\udc99 (@Robby\ud83d\udc99) 1621025064
Right, people are going to get harassed now for choosing to wear a mask if they want, meanwhile the MAGA group will think they have a right or duty to admonish people for wearing a mask, when it isn't their F'ng business— Party of Fear (@Party of Fear) 1621011575
If this harassment is happening in Congress, imagine what's happening/going to happen in regular workplaces.\nI know people who pre-pandemic would be harassed by coworkers for simply washing their hands after using the same biometric time clock that everyone else had to touch too.— kc (@kc) 1621006765
We need more of this. These wannabe tough guys get by on expectations of civility or timidity. Don\u2019t give them either.— JB13 (@JB13) 1621005984
Several people called for Greene to face real consequences for her continuing behaviors towards colleagues she disagrees with.
If anyone else behaved like MTG and her flying monkeys at work they would be fired instantly. Please do something about the harassments and unprofessional behavior in congress. This is not what citizens who flip the bill for their salaries voted for.— Salem Strega \ud83e\uddd9\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83e\uddf9 still wearing a mask (@Salem Strega \ud83e\uddd9\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83e\uddf9 still wearing a mask) 1621006505
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.
So there's proof? let everyone see it. I am sure the Capitol police at the least made a report of this, if not break it up, where is it?— Bill Garland-I'm so blue the color is jealous (@Bill Garland-I'm so blue the color is jealous) 1621010555
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
Many also condemned Greene's ongoing campaign against New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, with some even calling for her expulsion from congress.
You need to be expelled immediately https://twitter.com/aoc/status/1393230641693609984\u00a0\u2026— Debbie (@Debbie) 1621007377
Whether there will be consequences for any of the parties in this conflict remains to be seen.