Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) was censured by the House on December 7, for pulling the fire alarm as Democrats were trying to delay a vote over a government shutdown. 

All he got after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor for pulling the alarm was a three-month probation, a $1,000 fine, and to apologize to the Capitol Police. 

Bowman was on CNN with Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and addressed the fire alarm question, as well as antisemitism. It did not go well. 

Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman STILL denies he pulled the fire alarm in an attempt to delay a vote since he wasn't "charged for disrupting a congressional proceeding" pic.twitter.com/4Kw37ha9vi

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 8, 2023

Bowman insisted that he didn't pull the fire alarm to delay the vote. He claimed his statements were consistent (they weren't), and that he hadn't been charged with an attempt to obstruct an official proceeding. He also said that he pulled it while in a rush to get to a vote. 

Lawler sat next to him and had an incredulous look on his face, as Bowman spun that tale. "I just want to make a point," he said interrupting the fantasy spin. "The video shows you threw the signs on the floor, You tried opening the door, it didn't open, you pulled the fire alarm." He said Bowman ran past seven Capitol Police officers (not telling them what he'd done or that the fire alarm was false). 

"That is not a mistake," Lawler declared. "And it took you an hour, by the way, to get to the floor for the vote, so don't say you were in a rush to go vote, when you weren't." 

That's when Bowman decided he didn't want to talk more about it, as Lawler just decimated his defense. His attempt to back away from it was funny, and you can see Lawler's grin that he did him in. 

"Let's get to the more important issues," Bowman said. He then said Lawler hadn't seen all the video, yet he could not dispute what Lawler said and the facts the video showed. Also, he pled guilty to "willfully" pulling it, knowing it was a false alarm, which contradicts his ridiculous 'it was somehow an accident' defense. 

Bowman was also asked about antisemitism during the segment, and just like he tried to spin the fire alarm story; he claimed if there was any antisemitism in Congress, it was with the Republicans, not the Democrats. 

Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman (projecting): "First of all, if there is antisemitism in Congress, it is coming from the Republican Party, not the Democrat Party..." pic.twitter.com/wfelHpABN6

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 8, 2023

But it was his buddy Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who was recently censured by the House for antisemitic remarks, not Republicans. It was also members of the Squad -- including Bowman -- who voted against a recent resolution condemning antisemitism. The Squad has also been supportive of the anti-Israel protesters, some of whom have chanted "from the river to the sea" -- the antisemitic chant at many of the protests. 

Bowman argued that you can't address the issue of antisemitism without also addressing the issue of Islamophobia. 

Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman: "We can't deal with antisemitism, in and of itself, without also addressing the issue of Islamophobia" pic.twitter.com/BdBUNFn7Fy

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 8, 2023

So antisemitism isn't evil on its own to be able to call it out? It isn't evil "in and of itself"? That sounds...antisemitic, as long as we're discussing the term. 

If that wasn't bad enough, he was asked a simple question about the term "from the river to the seat" -- does he think that means genocide? He refuses to give a straight answer. 

"Do you believe ["from the river to the sea"] is a call for genocide?"

Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman: "It's not a phrase I use" pic.twitter.com/bFufwXCwNd

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 8, 2023

He just says it's a phrase he doesn't use. If you can't say it's genocide, again, given what it means, there's a problem. Either he's worried about upsetting pro-Hamas leftists or he himself has an issue. 

He tried to divert on the issue to Republicans, but he only ended up making himself and the Squad look worse.