Rep. Jamaal Bowman should have pleaded "not guilty by reason of insanity" to charges of triggering a fire alarm on Sept. 30 in the Cannon House Office Building on Sept. 30, when a critical vote was being put forward by Republicans for a continuing resolution to keep the government open, Rep. Troy Nehls said on Newsmax Thursday.
"I don't know why he's even pleading guilty to this thing," the Texas Republican told Newsmax's "National Report." "I think if you know this guy and you're seeing who he is, and some of his interviews, he should have pled not guilty by reason of insanity, and he would have got away with it."
Bowman was charged by the attorney general of Washington, D.C., but has reached a deal that has him pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count, with the charges to be dropped in three months in exchange for him making a formal apology and paying a $1,000 fine.
According to an investigation by the Capitol Police, it was found there was "probable cause to believe that the defendant willfully or knowingly gave a false fire alarm."
Bowman has claimed that he didn't pull the alarm to delay the vote, but that he did it thinking it would open a nearby door so he could go to the House chambers to vote.
"I don't know the last time I touched the doorknob, but I don't think any of them are painted either red or orange," Nehls said Thursday. "I haven't touched one of those recently, but I kinda think if that's his excuse, he thought it was a door knob. I think that quite honestly, I don't know why he's even pleading guilty to this thing."
At the same time there are people in jail for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 protests, who "have been there for months," but Bowman is "a little nuts."
Nehls also Thursday talked about newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, saying that people from the left are "scared of this guy" and have given him the nickname "MAGA Mike."
"He's a big Trump guy," said Nehls. "Trump loves him, and he loves Trump. I think we're going to get some positive results under Mike Johnson, Speaker Johnson."
And after the three-week impasse in finding a speaker, "then you get a guy like this to step up to the plate," said Nehls. "He gets all of us on board with him, so I think it's a great opportunity. It's the right time for 'MAGA Mike' to come up here and provide that leadership.
"We've got appropriations bills. We have a fiscal crisis we've been dealing with. I think Mike is the right guy to address these issues and make tough decisions. The American people are begging for leadership, and I think Mike can deliver on that."
Johnson was chosen, Nehls added, because "he's a professional."
"He doesn't really offend people," he said. "Some people come up here and they say things and people get offended because you know, we've become pretty soft. Quite honestly, the American people get offended very, very easily, and people up here in Congress get offended very easily."
But Johnson is calm and collected, said Nehls.
"He's a Christian," he added. "He wears his faith … he's a professional at all times and I think people trust him as well. He'll tell you something and you may not necessarily agree, but he's very respectful."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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