Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) was recorded taking a phone from a man at Detroit Metro Airport after he questioned her about President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities and whether he should step down. The incident, posted by the National Republican Congressional Committee, has drawn significant attention.
The video begins with the man asking Kaptur, “Excuse me, congresswoman, should Joe Biden step down?” Kaptur ignores the question, prompting him to repeat it. He then asks, “Why has the White House been lying about Joe Biden’s declining cognitive abilities?” This seems to agitate Kaptur, who then grabs the man’s phone, causing the video to cut off.
When the recording resumes, the man questions why Kaptur took his phone. A bystander off-camera remarks, “Cause she’s rude and disrespectful and don’t care about the people, obviously.” Kaptur, now visibly frustrated, demands to know the man’s name and where he lives. When he refuses to answer, she responds, “Then I’m not answering you.”
As Kaptur starts to walk away, the man again asks if Biden should step down, to which she firmly replies, “No.” The interaction continues with Kaptur accusing the man of reading questions off a sheet and asking, “Who owns you?” The man insists that no one owns him, claiming he is just curious. Kaptur then leaves the airport, maintaining her stance.
A spokesperson for Kaptur’s campaign defended her actions to Fox News, stating, “It’s one thing to ask a question, but an unknown man refusing to identify himself, forcing a camera in the congresswoman’s personal space, is another thing entirely.” The spokesperson also mentioned that the man has not identified himself or his organization, emphasizing that Kaptur remains focused on her work for Northwest Ohio.
The incident follows another controversy involving Kaptur’s communications director, Ben Kamens, who bragged on social media about having his student debt canceled. This sparked backlash, with critics highlighting that Kamens, who earned over $80,000 last year, is now offloading his debt onto taxpayers. Kamens has since set his social media account to private.
Political commentator Ari Goldkind criticized the situation, pointing out the unfairness to hardworking individuals who did not go to college or incur debt. Spectator reporter Matthew Foldi later confronted Kamens outside Kaptur’s office, capturing him trying to avoid the press.
