Congressman Defends Screaming at High School Pages in Capitol Rotunda: ‘Wake The F*ck Up You Little Sh*ts’
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) defended screaming obscenities at high school Senate pages who were resting in the Capitol Rotunda early Thursday morning by accusing the teens of treating the space “like a frat house common room.”
The 16- and 17-year-olds had been working late on amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act when they were discovered taking a break in their usual spot.
A page transcribed Van Orden’s words shortly after he berated the group around midnight. The transcript alleged that the congressman screamed:
Wake the f‑‑‑ up you little s‑‑‑‑. … What the f‑‑‑ are you all doing? Get the f‑‑‑ out of here. You are defiling the space you [pieces of s‑‑‑].
Who the f‑‑‑ are you?
When the teens answered that they were Senate pages, Van Orden reportedly retorted, “I don’t give a f‑‑‑ who you are, get out. You jackasses, get out.”
Max Cohen with Punchbowl News, the first outlet to report on the incident, tweeted that alcohol may have played a factor.
“Per a source, here’s a photo from last night of a bunch of alcohol in Van Orden’s office. Van Orden and staff were heard partying loudly before he cursed out a group of teenage Senate pages,” he posted.
After word got out about Van Orden’s alleged bad behavior, he issued a statement reading:
The Capitol Rotunda served as a field hospital when countless Union soldiers died fighting to free men in the Civil War. I have long said our nation’s Capitol is a symbol of the sacrifice our servicemen and women have made for this country and should never treated like a frat house common room. Threatening a congressman with bad press to excuse poor behavior is a reminder of everything that’s wrong with Washington. Luckily, bad press has never bothered me and if it’s the price I pay for standing up for what’s right, then so be it.
Al Weaver with The Hill reported that the incident “outraged members of the upper chamber, with one calling the string of remarks ‘horrible.’”
