A House Democrat faced backlash online for dismissing the testimony of a reporter who has covered multiple Antifa riots, including the riots surrounding the Kyle Rittenhouse murder acquittal.
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., took shots at Townhall senior writer Julio Rosas during Tuesday’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing on left-wing violence in an attempt to discredit him and former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Scott Erickson as witnesses.
Goldman attacked committee witnesses, accusing Erickson of trying to “gaslight” Congress about left-wing violence in America “as if Antifa, which Mr. Rosas, apparently the expert now in organized terrorist activity, has overruled the FBI director who says… there’s a headline that says ‘Antifa is an ideology, not an organization.’”
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Rosas blasted Goldman later in the hearing, quipping it is “funny to be lectured by an heir to the Levi Strauss Corporation.”
“And, honestly, that’s probably why he doesn’t consider property damage to be that big of a deal because, not only does he have that, but he also has what some people would describe [as] an impossibly good stock portfolio,” Rosas said.
Goldman’s office did not respond to Fox News Digitals’ request for comment.
The Townhall writer also wrote an entire book on the 2020 George Floyd riots titled “Fiery but Mostly Peaceful: The 2020 Riots and the Gaslighting of America.”
Rosas has reported on several riots in America involving the far-left militant group Antifa, including the Rittenhouse trial that saw an acquittal. (Joseph A.Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)
Users online dogpiled Goldman after his attack on Rosas, with State Freedom Caucus Network communications director Greg Price writing, “Look at the disrespect Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-NY) shows to [Rosas] as a witness, somebody who was on the ground at violent protests from Charlottesville to Kenosha, and wouldn’t even let him respond.”
“What an absolute punk,” Price said, sharing a video of the attack.
“He messed with the wrong guy,” Houck wrote.
Other users online blasted Goldman for the attack, with Townhall video journalist Kevin McMahon quipping if “there was ever a time to blindly trust the FBI Director as a credible source, it’s certainly not right now.”
Goldman appears to have an aversion to allowing committee testifiers to respond to his assertions.
“We’re not insulting you. Your experiences are devastating, but the problem is, is that this is a charade to cover up for an abuse of power. [Republicans] are going around incessantly, outside of this hearing, about Donald Trump, and the purpose of this hearing is to cover up for what they know to be an inappropriate investigation [into District Attorney Alvin Bragg],” Goldman said.
“Can I respond to you, please?” Brame asked as Goldman attempted to move on.
Last month, Goldman was shouted down by the mother of a New York City murder victim during a House Judiciary Committee field hearing, who warned the lawmaker not to “insult” her “intelligence.” (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“Not right now, because I only have 20 seconds, I’m sorry. But I, I do–” Goldman said.
Brame argued that Bragg’s office has only served to escalate the city’s crime problem, showing no “measurable results” in lowering the city’s violent crime rate.
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed reporting.