Republican Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett roasted the fashion choices of a man who appeared to be a reporter on Wednesday after the journalist asked him whether he supported former President Donald Trump’s call for a government shutdown.
“Do you support Trump’s call to shut down the government?” the phone-wielding man asks Burchett in video of the incident uploaded to Twitter.
Burchett responds by telling his questioner that Trump “has not called me” before adding, “and I do not — I do not — support you wearing black socks with short pants.” The video then pans over to the reporter, who was clad in black loafers and socks, long khaki shorts and a blue short-sleeved shirt, as Burchett casually walks away.
REPORTER: “Do you support Trump’s call to shut down the government?”
REP. BURCHETT (R-TN): “I do not support you wearing black socks with short pants.” pic.twitter.com/aTU9xsZAwp
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 27, 2023
In a Sunday Truth Social post, Trump called for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to force a “Budget Shutdown” until “YOU GET EVERYTHING.”
“SHUT IT DOWN! Close the Border, stop the Weaponization of ‘Justice,’ and End Election Interference,” Trump wrote.
David Giglio, a former Republican House candidate for California’s 13th congressional district, responded to the video with a tweet calling Burchett’s comeback “actually rather hilarious.”
This is actually rather hilarious.
— David Giglio (@DavidGiglioCA) September 27, 2023
Burchett, who was first elected to the House in 2018, is known on Capitol Hill as quipster, Politico reported in January. Republican Arkansas Rep. Steve Womack told the outlet that Burchett is “unpredictable” and “says the craziest things.” McCarthy told Politico that Burchett “has the ability to take a serious situation, lighten the room, but also make his point.”
Burchett also once called fellow GOP Tennessee Rep. David Kustoff his “favorite Jew after Jesus”, the outlet reported.