Clint Eastwood is perhaps the most recognizable Republican celebrity in America.
And the movie star isn’t afraid to point out politicians he believes to be nothing more than an empty chair.
However, Eastwood has found one Congressman he could be proud of after the closest thing Washington, D.C., has ever seen to a real-life “get off my lawn” moment.
The generational gap
Every generation always seems disappointed in the generation to follow.
The Greatest Generation didn’t like the Baby Boomers, the Boomers didn’t think much of Gen X, the Xers couldn’t stand the Millennials, and the Millennials have had about enough of the Zoomers.
And oftentimes, the frustration comes with good reason.
More often than not, it’s about a perceived lack of respect.
And now the Left is coming after one Republican Congressman, after he scolded a group of young Senate pages for their lack of respect, in a moment that would make Clint Eastwood smile.
Get off my lawn!
Recently, a group of Senate pages – all teenagers – were partying at the Capitol rotunda.
This didn’t sit well with Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin.
Sounds about right. I understand that a lot of Gen Y sissies get upset when men hold children to standards. Accept that Van Orden is unlike you and there’s no way you could understand him or his fellow vets. Stop presuming to judge them. @MarlonBateman https://t.co/f5cfBFMX8C
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) July 27, 2023
In no uncertain terms, Rep. Van Orden told the pages what he thought of their disrespectful behavior and basically told them to scram.
The pages, of course, exaggerated and threw in lots of extra hostility and cuss words when recounting the incident.
“Wake the f‑‑‑ up you little sh‑‑‑,” one of the pages told Punchbowl News Van Orden said to the group of 16- and 17-year-olds. “What the f‑‑‑ are you all doing? Get the f‑‑‑ out of here. You are defiling the space you pieces of sh‑‑. Who the f‑‑‑ are you?”
“Luckily, bad press has never bothered me”
For his part, Van Orden has a discrepancy with some of the reported language – but he isn’t denying the incident took place.
Nor is he apologizing for it.
Van Orden reacts to @PunchbowlNews reporting that he cursed out Senate pages (called them "lazy shits" and told them to "get the fuck up") for taking pics in the Rotunda:
"Bad press has never bothered me and if it's the price I pay to stand up for what's right, then so be it." https://t.co/EUZWDrWbmA
— Max Cohen (@maxpcohen) July 27, 2023
“The Capitol Rotunda served as a field hospital when countless Union soldiers died fighting to free men in the Civil War,” Rep. Van Orden wrote in a statement. “I have long said our nation’s Capitol is a symbol of the sacrifice our servicemen and women have made for this country and should never treated like a frat house common room. Threatening a Congressman with bad press to excuse poor behavior is a reminder of everything that’s wrong with Washington. Luckily, bad press has never bothered me and if it’s the price I pay for standing up for what’s right, then so be it.”
The “gotcha” that wasn’t
Outraged at his refusal to apologize, the cancel culture mob began targeting the former Navy SEAL.
They even convinced Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina to condemn Van Orden’s righteous indignation.
And then they thought they caught Van Orden in a hypocritical moment.
Per a source, here's a photo from last night of a bunch of alcohol in Van Orden's office. Van Orden and staff were heard partying loudly before he cursed out a group of teenage Senate pages pic.twitter.com/W6KF35nfWt
— Max Cohen (@maxpcohen) July 27, 2023
Punchbowl News’ Max Cohen tweeted out a picture of Van Orden’s Congressional office – which appeared empty.
Cohen added that an unnamed source said there was loud partying coming from the office just before the incident with the pages at the Rotunda.
However, this turned out to be nothing more than a Fake News “gotcha” attempt gone bad.
If Max had reached out on this (he didn’t), I would’ve told him that @RepVanOrden regularly hosts beer and cheese tours with constituents.
The congressman hosted roughly 50 constituents and visitors yesterday before a private tour of the Capitol. But glad you got some retweets. https://t.co/DL5muzr4yS
— Anna Kelly (@AnnaKellyWI) July 27, 2023
It turns out, per Rep. Van Orden’s Communications Director, the Congressman regularly hosts beer and cheese tours with constituents.
The noise was from 50 constituents, all being in his office at once, before their Representative gave them a tour of the building.
The first-term Congressman from Western Wisconsin put a period on the debate with a savage tweet to Cohen and the rest of the radicals trying to cancel him.
How do you say you have never been to Wisconsin without saying you have never been to Wisconsin?
Those were constituents, you must be a flat-lander. https://t.co/S1sfFlWvQg
— Derrick Van Orden (@derrickvanorden) July 27, 2023
“How do you say you have never been to Wisconsin without saying you have never been to Wisconsin,” Rep. Van Orden asked rhetorically. “Those were constituents, you must be a flat-lander.”
It remains to be seen if the Punchbowl News will continue trading shots with Van Orden after the merciless beatdown.
