A Republican lawmaker in New Hampshire has come under fire for calling a colleague a "b*tch" for leaving a meeting for an emergency.
During a Zoom conference, Republican New Hampshire state Senator John Reagan could be heard using the profane epithet to refer to fellow Republican state Senator Sharon Carson after she stepped out of a committee meeting to tend to her hospitalized daughter.
Reagan is calling the gaffe "an open mic goof."
Reagan's insult came as Carson put the meeting into recess to deal with her daughter's medical situation.
In video of the incident, Carson could be heard announcing the recess and the serious reason she needed to call it.
"I'm sorry, my daughter is currently hospitalized and her doctor is on the phone. I'm going to put the committee in recess for 10 minutes."
And Reagan was not pleased.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Reagan was audibly annoyed. He began complaining about the interruption to the committee's business and the inconveniencing of the entire Executive Departments and Administration Committee for Carson's personal business.
He then called Carson the vulgar name under his breath.
"So nobody else can do anything, right? B*tch."
Reagan later apologized for the remark.
According to local news station WMUR, Reagan personally apologized to the entire committee as the meeting adjourned for what he called his "outburst." Carson thanked him for his apology, but has not commented publicly on the matter.
In a subsequent email to the Associated Press, Reagan called the incident "an open mic Zoom goof," but another of his fellow Republican colleagues was not satisfied with that characterization. Republican New Hampshire Senate President Chuck Morse called Reagan's behavior "inappropriate and disappointing."
In a statement, Morse went on to say:
"I expect that all senators will be respectful to their colleagues and the public while carrying out Senate business."
On Twitter, Reagan's comments drew wide criticism.
Unsurprisingly, Reagan's Democratic colleagues were also displeased with his comments.
In a statement obtained by news station WGME, New Hampshire Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucey called Reagan's comments "cruel and entirely unacceptable."
