White House Communications Director Steven Cheung Uses Derogatory Slur in Social Media Rant
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung has sparked controversy by using a derogatory slur against two members of Congress in a social media post shared on Friday evening. Cheung targeted Democratic Representative Ro Khanna and Republican Representative Thomas Massie, calling them "some of the dumbest r****** ever to be in Congress" in a post on the platform X.
Context of the Controversial Statement
Cheung's inflammatory remarks came in response to a post from investigative journalist Jacqueline Sweet, who reported for The Guardian that four men named by Khanna in a recent House floor speech about Jeffrey Epstein had no apparent ties to the deceased sex offender. Sweet explained that Khanna and Massie had pushed the Department of Justice to unredact a file within the Epstein documents, which Khanna then referenced in his speech, describing the individuals as "wealthy and powerful men that the DOJ hid for no apparent reason."
The critical issue, as Sweet highlighted, is that the file in question was actually a photo lineup from the Southern District of New York, containing sixteen people with no known connections to Epstein. A spokesperson for Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed this detail to The Guardian, stating, "Rep Ro Khanna and Rep Thomas Massie forced the unmasking of completely random people selected years ago for an FBI lineup – men and women. These individuals have NOTHING to do with Epstein or Maxwell."
Lawmakers Respond to the Allegations and Slur
Representative Khanna addressed the situation on X, acknowledging Sweet's reporting and expressing frustration with the Department of Justice's handling of the matter. "I wish DOJ had provided that explanation earlier instead of redacting then unredacting their names," Khanna wrote. "They have failed to protect survivors, created confusion for innocent men, and have protected rich and powerful abusers. We must have full transparency and the truth."
Representative Massie responded directly to Sweet's post, questioning the DOJ's timeline: "I told DOJ on Monday this might be a lineup, and if so, they should explain that. How long did it take DOJ to figure it out after I told them?" Massie also replied to Cheung's slur with a pointed comment, writing, "Sorry about your Sultan bro," accompanied by a screenshot of a Wall Street Journal article detailing the resignation of DP World CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, who reportedly stepped down after his apparent ties to Epstein were revealed.
Pattern of Slur Usage in Trump Administration
This incident is not isolated within the Trump administration. President Donald Trump himself used the same derogatory term in a Truth Social post on November 27, referring to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as "seriously r*******." Additionally, Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department's assistant attorney general for civil rights, employed the slur in an X post on December 28. The repeated use of this language has raised concerns about ableist rhetoric at high levels of government.
The Independent has reached out to the White House, as well as Representatives Khanna and Massie, for further comment on the matter. The controversy underscores ongoing tensions surrounding the Epstein files and the broader issue of respectful discourse in political communications.
