Del. Stacey Plaskett from the Virgin Islands lit up the House floor Tuesday, and her remarks clearly got under at least one Republican’s skin. The whole scene unfolded just before the House voted on whether to censure Plaskett over text messages she exchanged with Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 hearing that featured testimony from Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer.
Emails the House Oversight Committee says it obtained from Epstein’s estate show Plaskett asked Epstein for advice on what questions to pose. Epstein had once been friendly with Trump, which turned the whole situation into political kindling.
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Republicans pushed a resolution that would have censured her and kicked her off the Intelligence Committee. But the effort fizzled after three Republicans voted against it and three more voted present.
Before the vote, Plaskett stepped up to defend herself and didn’t hold back. She blasted the House for focusing on her text messages instead of what she believes are the real issues at stake.
“You don’t want to talk about what is really happening here. You want to talk about texting? Texting felons? How often do you text President Donald J. Trump? That’s the individual we should be concerned about,” she said, raising her voice as Democrats around her nodded along.
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She went on to say she would not stand with “the wealthy and connected who continue to exploit workers and evade taxes” or “powerful figures with credible allegations who face no consequences,” adding that corporate interests were profiting “from human suffering while families struggle.” She had just begun addressing the people of the Virgin Islands when Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia jumped in.
Clyde called a point of order, and the chamber briefly froze. “The gentleman will state his point of order,” the chair said. Clyde responded, “The point of order is you may not call the president of the United States a felon.” His comment immediately sparked loud reactions from Democrats who shot back, “He is!” from all directions.
The chair tried to cool things down and said the point of order was under review. Members were reminded to avoid personal commentary about the president, but the chair ultimately ruled the objection wasn’t timely. Plaskett was given the floor again. She picked up where she left off and finished her remarks without further interruptions.
The moment hung in the air because Trump’s legal status is not in dispute. He was convicted in May 2024 on 34 felony counts for falsifying business records in New York. Cohen testified during that trial that he wired a $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels to cover up Trump’s affair with the adult film actress.
That case remains one of the biggest legal blows Trump has faced, and it’s the reason Democrats immediately pushed back on Clyde’s attempt to shut Plaskett down.
In the end, the censure effort failed, Plaskett kept her seat on the Intelligence Committee, and the House moved on. But her speech and the reaction it triggered showed just how tense and personal the politics around Trump still are, especially when his name gets pulled into debates that have nothing to do with him on paper but everything to do with him in practice.
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