Democratic Representative Susie Lee is facing intense political backlash after leaked remarks revealed she used strong language regarding Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth during a speech to supporters in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The controversy emerged as Lee, who is seeking re-election in Nevada's highly competitive 3rd Congressional District, addressed the Sun City Liberal Club about the difficulties of bipartisan negotiations in Washington.
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"I want to be bipartisan. I want to work across the aisle," Lee said.
The congresswoman then described her frustration during a congressional hearing involving the Defence Secretary.
"Now listen, it’s so easy. It’s so easy.
Like you just wanna beat the s— out of him," Lee said.
Lee immediately explained the necessity of maintaining composure during tense political discussions to achieve federal results for her home state.
"But you got to bite it," she said.
The discussion centered on her efforts to convince the Defence Department to invest in MP Materials, a rare earth mineral production company based in Nevada.
"You got to lay on their ego, right?" Lee said.
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Lee detailed her strategic approach to the federal funding discussions despite her personal disagreements with the agency leadership.
"I didn’t want to be sweet with Hegseth, okay, I didn’t. But, you know, you got to do what you got to do to get s— done, right?"
she said.
Republican leaders strongly rejected her claims of influencing the investment decision and condemned her choice of words.
GOP officials stated that the violent language contradicts her public image as a bipartisan lawmaker and accused her of overstating her role in securing federal funding for the Nevada company.
In response to the criticism, Lee's office released a statement defending her actions.
A spokesperson stated that the congresswoman remains focused on creating jobs, lowering costs, and supporting Nevada businesses despite having major policy differences with Hegseth.
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The spokesperson also criticized Hegseth's leadership, stating that the Defence Secretary failed to act quickly on critical issues affecting veterans connected to Nevada’s Test and Training Range.
