Democratic Rep. David Trone of Maryland apologized after he used a racial slur in casual conversation during a congressional budget hearing on Thursday.
The 68-year-old congressman and U.S. Senate candidate said he had misspoken and claimed to have never heard of the word after he used it to criticize Republicans.
Trone was praising tax proposals from President Joe Biden when he used the slur, The Washington Post reported.
As a businessman, he said, corporate tax rates had never influenced his decision-making and shouldn’t influence others.
“Not one time ever in the history of my life did I say, ‘What’s the tax rate next year?’” the Democrat said.
“What you look at is, can you compete?” Trone said.
“The tax rate … it’s never, ever once been a consideration,” the congressman said.
He then took a shot at Republicans — but in doing so voiced a racial slur used against black people.
“So this Republican jigaboo that, you know, it’s the tax rate that’s stopping business investment, it’s just completely faulty by people who have never run a business,” Trone said.
“They’ve never been there. They don’t have a clue what they’re talking about,” he said.
“Congressman apologizes for using racial slur instead of saying ‘bugaboo’
U.S. Senate hopeful Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) made the comment while discussing tax rates in a budget hearing”– @ErinatThePost https://t.co/3VffYjV40X
Here’s video from the 3/21/2024 House budget hearing: pic.twitter.com/BbBJ6fbR4g— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) March 22, 2024
At the time, Trone was addressing Office of Budget and Management Director Shalanda Young, who is black.
After the Post reached out to him about the slur, the congressman issued a statement of apology.
“Today while attempting to use the word bugaboo in a hearing, I misspoke and mistakenly used a phrase that is offensive,” he said. “Upon learning the meaning of the word I was deeply disappointed to have accidentally used it, and I apologize.”
Trone later released an expanded statement to Fox News and other outlets.
“Today while attempting to use the word ‘bugaboo’ in a hearing, I used a phrase that is offensive,” the Democrat said. “That word has a long dark terrible history. It should never be used any time, anywhere, in any conversation.
“I recognize that as a White man, I have privilege. And as an elected official, I have a responsibility for the words I use — especially in the heat of the moment. Regardless of what I meant to say, I shouldn’t have used that language.”
Should David Trone resign?
Trone, who is in his third term in the House, is running for the Senate seat that will be vacated next year by Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland, who is retiring.
A Washington Post/University of Maryland poll released on Wednesday before the congressman used the racial slur showed him trailing in a head-to-head Senate general election matchup against former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan 49 percent to 37 percent.
Trone leads the rest of the field in the upcoming Democratic primary.
He founded the nationwide alcohol distribution company Total Wine & More with his brother, Robert Trone, in 1991.
The company has hundreds of locations across dozens of states.
