2026年5月12日，美国东部时间上午8:33 / 美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）
作者：卡安妮塔·艾尔
更新于2026年5月12日，美国东部时间上午10:20
汤姆·威廉姆斯/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./盖蒂图片社
弗吉尼亚州一名共和党女议员目前正为自己辩解，此前有多人呼吁她辞职，原因是她认同一名电台主持人针对众议院民主党领袖哈基姆·杰弗里斯的“摘棉花的手”的攻击性言论。
该言论出现在周一珍妮·基冈斯众议员做客“里士晨早间新闻”节目、讨论该州选区重划争议期间。采访中，电台主持人里奇·埃雷拉称非裔议员杰弗里斯“应该把你那摘棉花的手从弗吉尼亚拿开”。
“没错，”基冈斯回应道，“附议。”
周一晚些时候，基冈斯在X平台上发帖称，她并不“认可”埃雷拉的用语，但将此次反弹斥为民主党人的“谎言和歪曲”。
“这恰恰说明了民主党哪里有问题。每一句谎言和歪曲都是为了转移注意力，好让他们避免惨败，以及弗吉尼亚州最高法院传递的明确信息：别再试图操纵我们的选举，”基冈斯说道。
她补充道：“电台主持人本不该使用这种措辞，我也没有——也从来没有——认可过这种说法。任何听众都能听出来，我当时是在认同哈基姆·杰弗里斯（原文拼写为Jefferies）应该别插手弗吉尼亚事务。”
韦氏词典指出，该词汇“被广泛认为具有冒犯性”，因为它让人联想到被奴役的黑人曾被迫在棉花田劳作的历史。
杰弗里斯的一名发言人在一份声明中表示，基冈斯对于埃雷拉的“恶毒、种族主义且非人性化的言论”是“变本加厉”。
“作为代表弗吉尼亚州一个庞大且充满活力的非裔社区的所谓温和派国会议员，这是判断力和领导力方面的惊人失败，”克里斯蒂·斯蒂芬森说道。
杰弗里斯在2023年创下历史，成为首位领导国会政党的非裔议员。
美国有线电视新闻网已联系基冈斯的办公室以及埃雷拉。
弗吉尼亚州的选区重划争议在周一持续发酵，此前弗吉尼亚州民主党人已向美国最高法院请求恢复经公投通过的国会选区地图。上周，该州最高法院否决了这份地图，若该地图得以通过，民主党有望在今年的中期选举中多赢得最多4个众议院席位。
基冈斯在电台节目中的言论迅速招致民主党人的批评，其中一些人呼吁她辞职。
众议院民主党二号人物凯瑟琳·克拉克众议员表示，基冈斯“应该立即道歉并辞职”。杰弗里斯转发了克拉克的帖子。
同样，众议院民主党领导层成员皮特·阿圭拉尔众议员也表示：“这种种族主义言论绝对让一名国会议员丧失资格。基冈斯众议员必须道歉，然后立刻滚出众议院。”
与此同时，国会黑人核心小组主席伊薇特·克拉克众议员直接回应了基冈斯为自己辩解的帖子，称：“不管你现在怎么说，事实是你当时什么都没说——而这恰恰是共和党人的问题所在！”
“杰弗里斯应该得到道歉，弗吉尼亚州的民众理应得到比偏执狂及其帮凶更好的代表，”克拉克补充道。
本文已更新补充更多信息。
CNN的派珀·哈德尔斯皮思·布莱克本和莎拉·费里斯为本报道撰稿。
Virginia representative distances herself after agreeing with radio show host’s offensive comment about Jeffries
May 12, 2026, 8:33 AM ET / CNN
By Kaanita Iyer
Updated May 12, 2026, 10:20 AM ET
Rep. Jen Kiggans, attends a House Armed Services Committee hearing titled in Washington, DC, on April 29.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images
A Republican congresswoman from Virginia is defending herself amid calls for her to resign after she agreed with a radio host’s remark referring to House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ “cotton-picking hands.”
The comment was made during Rep. Jen Kiggans’ appearance on “Richmond’s Morning News” on Monday to talk about her state’s redistricting fight. During the interview, radio host Rich Herrera said Jeffries, who is Black, should “get your cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.”
“That’s right,” Kiggans said in response. “Ditto.”
Later Monday, Kiggans, in a post on X, said she doesn’t “condone” Herrera’s language but described the backlash as a “lie and distortion” from Democrats.
“This is precisely what’s wrong with Democrats. Every lie and distortion is intended to distract from getting their hats handed to them and the Virginia Supreme Court’s clear message: stop trying to rig our elections,” Kiggans said.
She continued, “The radio host should not have used that language and I do not -and did not – condone it. It was obvious to anyone listening that I was agreeing Hakeem Jefferies (sic) should stay out of Virginia.”
Merriam-Webster notes that the term is “widely considered offensive” as it calls back to work enslaved Black people were forced to do in cotton fields.
A spokesperson for Jeffries said in a statement that Kiggans had “tripled down” on the “vile, racist and dehumanizing comments” from Herrera.
“It was a stunning failure of judgment and leadership for a so-called moderate Member of Congress representing a large, vibrant African American community in Virginia,” said Christie Stephenson.
Jeffries made history in 2023 as the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress.
CNN has reached out to Kiggans’ office as well as to Herrera.
The redistricting fight in the state continued Monday after Virginia Democrats asked the US Supreme Court to reinstate a congressional map that voters approved in a referendum. Last week, the state’s Supreme Court voided the map, which would have helped Democrats win up to four additional House seats in this year’s midterm elections.
Kiggans’ radio show comments drew swift criticism from Democrats, including some who called on her to resign.
Rep. Katherine Clark, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, said Kiggans “should immediately apologize and resign.” Jeffries reposted Clark’s post.
Similarly, Rep. Pete Aguilar, who is also part of House Democratic leadership, said, “This racist rhetoric is absolutely disqualifying from a Member of Congress. Rep. Kiggans must apologize then get the hell out of the House.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Yvette Clarke, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, responded directly to Kiggans’ post defending herself, saying, “No matter what you say now, the fact is that you did not say a thing then — and that is precisely what’s wrong with Republicans!”
Jeffries “deserves an apology, and the people of Virginia deserve better than bigots and their enablers,” Clarke added.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Sarah Ferris contributed to this report.
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