‘Cotton picking’: US lawmaker condemned for racist comment about Jeffries

Lead

A Republican congresswoman from Virginia is facing calls to resign after she agreed with a radio host who used the racially charged phrase "cotton-picking hands" in reference to Hakeem Jeffries, the top-ranking Democrat in the US House of Representatives. The incident has ignited a political firestorm and drawn sharp condemnation from Democratic leaders, who say the language evokes the brutal history of slavery in the United States.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from Al Jazeera and The Guardian both detailed the exchange that occurred on Monday during a conservative radio program, "Richmond's Morning News." Host Rich Herrera, discussing the ongoing redistricting battle in Virginia, told Jeffries — who represents New York — that if he wanted to be involved in Virginia politics, he should move to the state and run for office. Otherwise, Herrera said, "get your cotton-picking hands off of Virginia."

Kiggans, who was a guest on the show, replied: "That's right. Ditto — yes, yes to that." Both outlets characterized this as agreement with the host's comment.

The term "cotton-picking" is widely recognized as offensive, rooted in the era of American slavery when enslaved Black people were forced to labor on cotton plantations, as both Al Jazeera and The Guardian noted.

Key Claims

• Kiggans agreed with the host's comment, which included the phrase "cotton-picking hands" — a phrase with racist connotations. (Reported by both Al Jazeera and The Guardian.)
• Kiggans later issued a statement denying that she condoned the host's language, saying she was agreeing only with the broader sentiment that Jeffries should stay out of Virginia politics. (Reported by both outlets.)
• Top Democrats, including House Minority Whip Katherine Clark and California Governor Gavin Newsom, called on Kiggans to resign. (Reported by both outlets.)
• Jeffries' office released a statement condemning Kiggans. A spokesperson, Christie Stephenson, called the language "disgusting, vile and racist" and said Kiggans "apparently craves a return to the days of Jim Crow racial oppression in the South." (Reported by Al Jazeera.)
• The incident occurs against the backdrop of a nationwide redistricting struggle ahead of the November midterm elections, and follows a recent US Supreme Court ruling that some say weakens protections for Black voters under the Voting Rights Act. (Reported by both outlets, though the Supreme Court detail was only in The Guardian's report.)

Perspectives

Kiggans' defense: Kiggans maintains that her on-air response was not an endorsement of the host's language but merely an agreement with the idea that Hakeem Jeffries, as a New York representative, should not involve himself in Virginia's redistricting matters. In her statement, she said: "The radio host should not have used that language and I do not — and did not — condone it. It was obvious to anyone listening that I was agreeing Hakeem Jeffries should stay out of Virginia."

Democrats' condemnation: Democratic leaders, including Jeffries' office, view the incident as a clear racial attack. They argue that the use of a term so deeply connected to the history of slavery is unacceptable for an elected official, and that Kiggans' initial response showed a lack of judgment. Calls for her resignation came swiftly from prominent figures such as Katherine Clark and Gavin Newsom.

Context of redistricting and voting rights: Both reports place the controversy within a larger political context. Redistricting battles have intensified across the country as states redraw congressional maps. A late April Supreme Court decision has been cited as weakening enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, potentially making it easier to dismantle predominantly Black congressional districts — a backdrop that some say heightens the sensitivity of racially charged language in political discourse.

As of Tuesday, Jeffries himself had not publicly commented, according to The Guardian. The radio interview was no longer available for playback on Apple Podcasts, though it remained listed on the station's website. A spokesperson for Audacy, the station's owner, was asked for comment but had not responded.

The controversy shows no signs of abating, with both sides digging in as the November midterms approach.