‘Don’t Mess With Texas’ Alcee Hastings Calls Texas ‘Crazy’ Sparks Massive Backlash
Don’t mess with Texas. That is the message Florida Democrat Alcee Hastings is hearing over and over again after derogatory statements he made about the Lone Star State Monday at a House Rules Committee hearing.
Alcee Hastings called Texas “crazy” during a debate about repealing Obamacare. Texas Republican Representative Michael Burgess and Florida Democrat Alcee Hastings were sharing their views about the Affordable Care Act when Hastings launched into a rant that prompted the viral hashtag #DontMessWithTexas and an outcry from legions of citizens from the Lone Star State.
“I don’t know about your state, which I think is a crazy state to begin with, and I mean just what I said,” Representative Hastings said to Representative Burgess during the House Rules Committee hearing. Committee chair Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina, promptly brought down her gavel to bring the meeting back to order.
“That’s a very defamatory statement about my state, and I will not stand here and listen to it,” the Texan said.
“Well fine. Then you don’t have to listen. You can leave if you choose. I’ve told you what I think about Texas. I wouldn’t live there for all the tea in China, and that’s how I feel,” Alcee Hastings retorted.
.@LarryGatlin hits back at @RepHastingsFL for calling TX ‘crazy’ in the best way he knows how… #DontMessWithTexas https://t.co/xz8uWtPJYo
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) February 4, 2015
On Tuesday, all 25 House of Representative members from Texas banded together in a show of solidarity and state pride, and demanded that the Florida Democrat apologize to the Lone Star State. “Don’t mess with Texas,” the simple four-word statement was delivered to Representative Hastings, who shows no sign of backing away from his Texas is crazy comments.
“You will wait until h**l freezes over for me to say anything in an apology. I would apologize to you [Michael Burgess] if I was directing my comments to you. I was commenting about the state that you happen to be a resident of. So I will not apologize,” Alcee Hastings said.
Should tweet all #DontMessWithTexas tweets directly to @RepHastingsFL. Intervention for Liberal Mental Disorder. pic.twitter.com/UMDmnlb08j
— PrincipleNotPolitics (@ReallyIvy) February 4, 2015
With @HouseGOP to call for 56th vote to repeal #ACA it must be #GroundhogDay again pic.twitter.com/KCtQuHL4lu
— Alcee L. Hastings (@RepHastingsFL) February 2, 2015
Amazing people from Texas: Matthew McConaughey, Chuck Norris, Ethan Hawke, Patrick Swayze. Need I say more? #DontMessWithTexas
— Brittany Newton (@Puddin133) February 4, 2015
And people wonder why it’s so hard to work with democrats http://t.co/dKRMxD3Zxl #DontMessWithTexas #RepMichaelBurgess
— Robert Sewell, MD (@DrBob_Southlake) February 3, 2015
What do you think about Alcee Hastings calling Texas “crazy” and the “Don’t mess with Texas” message from Lone Star State lawmakers?
