Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., has apologized to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., for confronting her outside the Capitol.
But Politico said Yoho denied he used profanity during the Monday incident with the congresswoman.
“I rise to apologize for the abrupt manner of the conversation I had with my colleague from New York," Yoho said on the House floor on Wednesday. "It is true that we disagree on policies and visions for America, but that does not mean we should be disrespectful."
"The offensive name-calling words attributed to me by the press were never spoken to my colleagues, and if they were construed that way, I apologize for their misunderstanding."
The Hill had reported the two lawmakers were walking opposite ways on a set of stairs when Yoho called AOC "disgusting" over comments she made about crime rates in New York City going up because of the pandemic and poverty and not because of a lack of policing.
Yoho said she was "out of your freaking mind." She replied his comments were "rude" before Yoho was then reported to have called her an expletive name.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., had called for Yoho to apologize on the House floor. Politico said he thanked Yoho for the apology on Wednesday.
Following the apology, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted: “Yoho is refusing responsibility.”
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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