Rep. Tim Burchett and a protester got into a physical altercation outside the Longworth House Office Building in Washington on Thursday, just after House votes ended for the week.
According to multiple eyewitness accounts, the incident took place after a protester asking about Burchett’s stance on the war in Gaza bumped into him, prompting the lawmaker to shove back.
“Everyone has a right to their opinion, and they can say all of the filthy stuff they want. But they don’t have the right to bump the Congressman,” Burchett’s press secretary, Will Garrett, said in a statement to NOTUS.
Burchett said afterward the man “had bad breath,” Politico reported.
Capitol Police did not respond to NOTUS’ request for comment, but multiple reports say the offender was questioned after the incident and ultimately released.