Newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson drew the ire of one of his Democratic colleagues during a House hearing earlier this year, prompting her to throw a paper at him.
The Louisiana Republican was unanimously selected as speaker Wednesday by his party.
The fourth-term congressman was a relatively unknown and quiet member of the GOP caucus until he suddenly ascended to third in the line of presidential succession.
But he was part of a viral moment in March when he offered a document to Democratic Del. Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands, only to have her throw it at him in a fit moments later.
Plaskett is one of the House’s nonvoting members.
The triggered Democrat later hurled an accusation that Johnson had attempted to “mansplain” to her.
During a March 30 hearing of the House Judiciary Committee’s select subcommittee on the weaponization of the federal government, Johnson requested to enter a 2021 letter from his state’s attorney general that condemned “political violence.”
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“Another thing we can’t examine because he’s not here,” Plaskett said of Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry.
Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio replied, “You can examine it. It’s a document.”
Plaskett filed back, “No, examine him for what he wrote and the intent behind it.”
Johnson then stood up from his chair, approached Plaskett and offered her a copy of the document so she could see it.
The Democrat briefly glossed over the paper before she stood up, walked back over to Johnson and threw the paper at him.
Mike Johnson was officially voted in as the 56th Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Are you happy with Johnson becoming speaker of the House?Probably a good time to remind everyone about the time he made a Democrat so angry that she marched over and threw some documents in his face.
?
Congratulations, @RepMikeJohnson ?? pic.twitter.com/ZTpuyowknm
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) October 25, 2023
Johnson remained calm and did not respond to Plaskett.
In a social media post afterward, the delegate accused him of trying to “mansplain” to her.
Message to @HouseGOP —Do not try to mansplain me.. #PeopleOverPolitics https://t.co/E1KlMfIJju
— Rep. Stacey Plaskett (@StaceyPlaskett) March 30, 2023
Her post went viral online, as many accused her of displaying a lack of professionalism.
Johnson filled a speaker’s chair on Wednesday that was vacated by Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California three weeks ago after the issue was forced to a vote.
The Louisiana Republican became the first GOP speaker to receive unanimous support from his party since John Boehner did so in 2011.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
