The chairwoman of the Republican National Committee on Thursday accused Democratic Sen. Corey Booker of “mansplaining” to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen during a hearing this week about President Donald Trump’s reported slander of African countries.
“I just think it would have been covered differently if it were a Republican senator yelling or lecturing a woman coming before the Senate, not giving her a chance to explain herself, grandstanding,” Ronna McDaniel told CNN anchor Chris Cuomo of “New Day.”
“I know he’s auditioning for 2020, I understand that, but he was disrespectful, and he did ‘mansplain’ to her,” McDaniel said, referring to speculation that Booker may run for president.
Booker rebuked Nielsen on Tuesday during a session of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee after she denied having heard Trump use the words “shithole” or “shithouse” to describe African countries during a White House meeting last week on immigration. Booker said Nielsen was complicit in the damage done by Trump’s reported insult.
Booker on Wednesday called it “a little insulting” that Republicans were calling on him to “be treating Cabinet secretaries one way or another depending upon their gender” and accused Nielsen of “lying about overt bigotry coming out of the White House.”
Responding on CNN, McDaniel said, “I don’t think he should have to talk to her differently, but I will say he was disrespectful to her as the secretary of Homeland Security, and he was ‘mansplaining’ to her.”
