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Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told an individual who said he had been fired from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that he likely deserved to be dismissed because he seemed "like a clown."
The GOP senator has not backed away from his comments, which were captured on camera.
Retweeting a post that featured video of the exchange, the lawmaker's @SenatorBanks X account declared, "Hard truth!" Banks is also using a screenshot of himself from the video as his new profile photo on that account.
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Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told an individual who said he had been fired from HHS that he 'probably deserved it' because he seemed 'like a clown' (Mack Schroeder via Storyful)
In the video, an individual who is not on camera can be heard saying that he was an HHS worker who had been illegally fired on February 14.
The individual went on to claim that many have not been getting social services, particularly individuals with disabilities, and then asked Banks if he is going to "do anything to stop what's happening?"
Banks responded by saying, "You probably deserved it."
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When the questioner asked Banks why he deserved it, the senator replied, "Because you seem like a clown."
Fox News Digital reached out to a Banks spokesperson who provided a comment from the senator.
"Factory workers, mechanics, police officers, teachers and all hard working people in Indiana don’t deserve to see their tax dollars going to pay for woke and wasteful programs in Washington DC. Thank you President Trump for draining the swamp," Banks said in the statement.
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Senator-elect Jim Banks, R-Ind., looks on during a photo opportunity as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, welcomes newly-elected Republican senators in his office at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 12, 2024. (ALLISON ROBBERT/AFP via Getty Images)
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The individual who confronted Banks in the video was Mack Schroeder, reports indicate.
"It felt very childish to hear someone in a leadership position whose constituents rely on these programs to say that," Schroeder said, according to USA Today. "I hope a lot of people in his state see the callousness that he demonstrated."
Banks, who previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives, won election to the Senate last year and joined the upper chamber early this year.
