Dem lawmaker busts right-wing reporter’s claim she 'slammed' door in his face

In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday afternoon, July 22, far-right reporter Charles R. Downs accused Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Delaware) of slamming a door in his face when he was trying to interview her in connection with reporting on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). But the transgender congresswoman debunked that claim in a Wednesday afternoon tweet of her own.

Reporting from Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Downs said he wanted to "question elected Democrats over their statements calling ICE murderers in the wake of the anti-ICE terrorist attack in New York the other day."

Many Democrats in Congress have been highly critical of recent killings by ICE officers. However, ICE is also drawing a great deal of criticism from Never Trump conservatives such as MS NOW's Joe Scarborough, The Bulwark's Bill Kristol and The Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson.

However, Downs, known for promoting far-right MAGA conspiracy theories, has been an outspoken defender of the agency.

In his video, Downs went on to insult McBride for being transgender, saying that he "questioned everyone's favorite tranny" on Capitol Hill before adding, "Well, no one really likes trannies."

"That person slammed the elevator door in my face," Downs told viewers in this video, adding, "Must be the hormones."

But McBride, in response to the video, explained why it would be physically impossible for her to slam the door Downs referenced in his face.

The Delaware congresswoman tweeted, "They're elevator doors and they're automatic."

McBride also critiqued Downs' reporting style, posting, "Also, when you ask questions, don't mumble so members can actually understand the words you are saying."

In his tweet, Downs wrote, "Congressional Democrats refusing to apologize for their rhetoric as ICE agents are under attack proves Dems are too immature to control Congress."

The 35-year-old McBride was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives via an at-large district in Delaware — the northeastern state that former President Joe Biden represented in the U.S. Senate for decades — in 2024. Before that, McBride served in the Delaware State Senate from 2020-2025.