The White House on Tuesday accused Republican Rep. Mark Green of antisemitism after he reportedly called Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas a “reptile” in urging colleagues to impeach the secretary.
Mr. Green, who has been leading the impeachment effort as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, made the comment during a House GOP meeting, according to a report in Politico, a news website covering Washington.
“House Republicans’ report said impeaching Mayorkas was about ‘deporting’ him. Now, the GOP Chairman leading it makes another vile comment, calling Mayorkas – who is Jewish – a ‘reptile,’” said Ian Sams, a White House spokesperson.
An aide to Mr. Green rejected the accusations of antisemitism.
“Anyone who has watched the secretary testify before any committee knows he is skilled at evading questions and accountability,” the aide said. “Chairman Green made these comments in a comparison with President Nixon—referring to their sly abilities to evade accountability and the truth.
“Insinuations that these comments mean anything more are just desperate attempts to distract from the secretary’s impeachable offenses,” the aide said.
Republicans’ distaste for Mr. Mayorkas has been palpable for years, with GOP members regularly clashing with him at hearings, accusing him of lying to them and the public about the border and his own actions. Members have called him “pathetic,” “detestable” and “smug.”
But the GOP is struggling to muster the votes for impeachment, with several key lawmakers saying they don’t see Mr. Mayorkas’s behavior rising to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors demanded by the Constitution.