Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., on Thursday called for right-wing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to apologize to him for making statements employing historically "racist tropes" after the two bickered outside the Capitol on Wednesday.
During an interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes Thursday evening, Bowman responded to Greene's claims during her Thursday press conference, in which she said she feels "threatened" by the Democrat and is "very concerned" about his "history of aggression" toward her and others.
"It's so nonsensical that it's comical. You can see in the video that we were playfully jousting with each other," Bowman said when Hayes asked for his thoughts. "The demeanor and the disposition on the steps was playful. We were going after each other," he added.
"So for her the next morning to say what she said, I mean, is a complete 180, number one. It's no longer comical now because now you are using historical racist tropes toward Black men — 'menacing,' 'his mannerisms,' 'I'm afraid.' That's the stuff that got Trayvon Martin killed, Tamir Rice killed, Michael Brown," he continued, echoing the sentiments from his statements to reporters regarding Greene's remarks earlier that day.
Bowman told Hayes that Greene's "reckless" comments enter into a "dangerous space," adding that Greene "should know better."
"This is another reason why we need to teach the accurate history of America in our schools and make sure African American history is a part of that because [of] her rhetoric and her behavior in Congress outside of me," he said. "Picture with the AR-15 with The Squad behind her, chasing David Hogg and stalking him as he engaged in activism around gun violence.
"Her rhetoric, her language, her behavior has been aggressive and intimidating since she's gotten into Congress. Now she's trying to displace it onto me," he continued.
Greene has also been a vocal proponent of Republicans' campaign against classroom lessons on the history of racism in America, which is often incorrectly dubbed critical race theory, a theoretical framework that instead considers the lasting impact of those histories.
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Hayes wondered aloud about the effects of Greene's language had there not been a recording of the incident, saying that her comments about Bowman are "a serious thing to say" in American society and "could have real consequences." Bowman agreed and pointed out that the rhetoric Greene echoed has also historically been used against women of color.
He described how the progressive congresswomen of The Squad — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York., Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts — told him about the surge in death threats they had received after former President Donald Trump would say something about them.
"This is dangerous territory we're walking in here, and we have to be clear about that," Bowman said returning to Greene. "And we need her to say on the record — one, she should apologize to me on record. Two, ask her directly, 'Do you want physical violence to be inflicted on Congressman Bowman?'"
"At the end of her statement it was, 'We need to watch him.' That's almost like Donald Trump's 'Stand by and stand back' to the Proud Boys at that debate a couple years ago. 'We need to watch him' — What are you saying?" Bowman continued, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Again this is why we have to teach history accurately so we all can be more enlightened as we govern," he concluded.
Bowman earlier this month sat down for an interview with "Salon Talks," which will premiere Tuesday, May 23.
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