It’s not always easy being a page…
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) apparently cursed out a group of teen Senate pages in the Capitol rotunda this week during a midnight tour of the Capitol.
According to a transcript written by a page minutes after the incident and obtained by The Hill, Van Orden called the pages “jackasses” and “pieces of s‑‑‑,” and told them he didn’t “give a f‑‑‑ who you are.”
Not a good look: Pages are only 16 or 17 years olds and are tasked with assisting senators during session. It’s seen as an honor (and in the right circumstances can catapult future political ambitions), but it can be grueling work. Pages often rest in the rotunda when the Senate goes late into the night.
“Wake the f‑‑‑ up you little s‑‑‑‑. … What the f‑‑‑ are you all doing? Get the f‑‑‑ out of here. You are defiling the space you [pieces of s‑‑‑],” Van Orden told the teens, according to an account provided by a page to The Hill.
“Who the f‑‑‑ are you?” Van Orden continued in berating them, to which one told him they were Senate pages. “I don’t give a f‑‑‑ who you are, get out.”
Background: Van Orden has only been in the chamber since January. And he was reportedly “partying loudly” in his office before the outburst against the Senate pages, according to a Punchbowl News reporter. (The Hill)
Some Democrats criticizing the GOP lawmaker over the incident have pointed to Van Orden’s presence outside the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. The lawmaker said he did not enter the building that day.
What’s next: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is planning to talk to Van Orden about the situation.
“I haven’t been able to speak to him yet. I’ll call him today. I don’t know the situation, I saw what was reported,” McCarthy told reporters today.
