Black Caucus leader seeks no-confidence vote against MP Higgins over Haitian social media post

Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Steven Horsford (D-Nevada) introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives on Wednesday to reprimand Representative Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana) for his now-deleted post on X in which he called Haitians “criminals” and referred to Haiti as the “vilest country in the Western Hemisphere.”

Higgins was apparently responding to reports that the head of a nonprofit organization representing the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, had invoked a citizen's right to bring charges against former Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, for making threats and causing unrest in the city since Trump and Vance spread unsubstantiated claims about legal immigrants in the city.

“Lol. These Haitians are wild. They eat pets, Vudu, worst country in the Western Hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters… but damn if they don't feel all cultured right now and press charges against our President and Vice President,” Higgins wrote. “All these gangsters better get their minds together and get their asses out of our country before January 20th.”

Trump claimed in his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris that Haitian migrants in Springfield were eating pets and animals from city parks. The city's 15,000 Haitian immigrants – most of them in the country legally – have filled jobs in manufacturing, distribution and warehouses but are a strain on the city's resources.

Following Trump's comments, the city received more than two dozen bomb threats, leading to the evacuation of schools and government buildings. The state has deployed additional police and installed surveillance cameras to counter the threats.

Under the Rules of Procedure, the House must pass a special resolution within two days of the session, but that will not happen until after the November elections, when the House returns from a long recess.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Horsford said Higgins' post incited “hatred and fear.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, asked about the post after Wednesday's vote, described Higgins as a friend “and a very open and outspoken person. He's also a man of very strong principles.”

“He was approached in the stands by colleagues who said that was offensive,” Johnson continued. “He went to the back. I just talked to him about it. He said he went to the back and prayed about it and he regretted it and he pulled the post down. That's what you expect from the Lord. I'm sure he probably regrets some of the words he used. But you know, we move on. We believe in redemption here.”

But House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., wrote in a statement: “Clay Higgins' disgusting statement about the Haitian community is abhorrent, racist, and beneath the dignity of the United States House of Representatives. He must be held accountable for his dishonorable conduct, which is unworthy of a member of Congress.”

“Clay Higgins is a vote-stopping, conspiracy-theory-spreading racist arsonist who is a disgrace to the People's House. That is who they have become. The Republicans are the party of Donald Trump, Mark Robinson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Clay Higgins and Project 2025. The extreme MAGA Republicans are unfit to govern.”

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida said he spoke with Higgins and asked him to remove the post.

“Clay and I talked about it and I said I think that's a bad statement – you should take it down,” Donalds said. “He came back a minute or two later and said he was going to take it down,” he said.

Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida said he believed the post violated House code because it came from Higgins' social media account.

“This is absolutely disgusting,” Frost said. “And a racist and bigoted tweet. I think that says a lot about the Republican Party – about the Republican Convention. They can't just say, 'You know what? This is wrong. He shouldn't have posted it.' Their best defense, though, is that he deleted the tweet.”

Donalds and congressional sources said a group of Democratic CBC members, including Reps. Frederica Wilson and Sheila Cherfilus McCormick, discussed the tweet with Higgins in the chamber.

California Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee said she was frustrated that Republicans initially blocked Horsford's request to reprimand Higgins.

“This is despicable. This is outrageous. And when Republicans go along with this, you realize who you are surrounding yourself with. They are complicit in this,” Lee said.

Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri said she wanted Higgins punished.

“It was hateful and he meant it,” she said, adding: “He needs to be reprimanded.”

When asked by CNN about the post, Higgins told the news channel it was “free speech.”

“It's all true,” Higgins said. “I can publish another controversial post tomorrow if you want. I mean, we have freedom of speech. I say what I want.”

He added: “For me, it's no big deal. It's like there's something stuck to the bottom of my boot. I just scrape it off and get on with my life.”

ABC News has contacted Higgins for comment.