Friday, March 29, 2024

Reporter Falsely Accuses Republicans of Trying to Force Cancer Patient to Take Off Hat in Congress

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A reporter is in hot water after publishing unproven claims that Republican lawmakers are attempting to prevent Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD), who is undergoing chemotherapy, from wearing a headwrap.

On Tuesday, Punchbowl News's Heather Caygle reacted to a tender moment on the House floor when lawmakers recognized and gave words of encouragement to Rep. Raskin. However, while most regarded the exchange as a heartwarming reminder of humanity, Caygle published the baseless claim. (RELATED: Congressman Announces Cancer Diagnosis)

“Rep. gets a standing ovation in Dem Caucus after saying he will push back on Republican efforts to make him take off the cap he's been wearing as he undergoes chemotherapy. ‘And I will make them take off their toupees,' Raskin said to Dem cheers,” Punchbowl's Caygle tweeted.

Caygle replied to her own tweet later admitting House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was completely unaware of the rumor and plans to “look into it.”

And yet there is no evidence to suggest that such Republican efforts exist, or ever did. The Democrat lawmaker explained to Raw Story, “he was kidding around with that comment.”

Caygle has yet to correct herself after more than 24 hours despite the multiple community context notes now affixed to her original tweet, which has been retweeted over 9,500 times, liked by nearly 58,000, and viewed by 4.3 million.

On the contrary, Raskin complimented his Congressional colleagues on their support through his journey.

They “have been uniformly supportive, Democrats and Republicans, you know, that means a lot to me,” he said to HuffPost.

On Wednesday, Republican Oversight Committee chair Rep. James Comer, when yielding to Raskin, took the moment Wednesday to say “we're all rooting for you, we know that you're going to win this battle,” before adding that Raskin was in the entire committee's “thoughts and prayers.”

“It's good to see you here today,” said Comer.

Raskin, who was wearing a bandana to cover hair loss from chemotherapy, replied, “Mr. Chairman, thank you so much. It means a lot to me, and I've been gratified to receive so many kind words of encouragement and sympathy from colleagues on both sides of the aisle. And I hope that these expressions of concern and solidarity will become seeds of friendship over the year. I certainly plan on getting through this thing and beating it. And I thank you for your patience and indulgence.”

“I give all honor to Little Steven for creating this look for American men going through something,” Raskin said to HuffPost on Tuesday.

Rep. Raskin announced his cancer diagnosis in December, he currently is going through chemo-immunotherapy to treat Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma.

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Nancy Jackson
Nancy Jackson
Nancy grew up in the South where her passion for politics first began. After getting her BA in journalism from Ole Miss she became an arts and culture writer for Athens Magazine where she enjoyed reporting on the eclectic music and art scene in Athens, GA. However, her desire to report on issues and policies impacting everyday Americans won out and she packed her bags for Washington, DC. Now, she splits her time between the Nation’s Capital and Philadelphia where she covers the fast-paced environment of politics, business, and news. In her off time, you can find Nancy exploring museums or enjoying brunch with friends.

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