Jay Chen, a Democrat challenging incumbent Congresswoman Michelle Steel in California’s 45th congressional district, mocked Steel’s accent during a campaign event earlier this month, telling a crowd that “you kind of need an interpreter to figure out exactly what she’s [Steel] saying.”
Chen preempted that comment by claiming that it had been “tough” for his team to transcribe Steel’s remarks at recent town hall.
A spokesman for the Steel campaign responded by noting that “Michelle Steel is a first-generation Korean American who speaks English as her third language.”
“These despicable, racist comments from Jay Chen have absolutely no place in our community. Chen owes everyone an explanation, particularly following recent reports he continues backing the Chinese Communist Party’s Confucius Institutes in our educational system,” added the spokesman. The Washington Free Beacon reported in February that Chen tried to introduce the Communist Party-run program into a California school district as a board member back in 2010.
Steel was born in Seoul before moving to Japan at the age of 14. She came to the United States to improve on her English and attend school, completing her undergraduate studies at Pepperdine University and her MBA at the University of Southern California.
In September 2020, ahead of her election to Congress in November, Steel told National Review that she was hesitant to run for office because of her thick accent. Prior to serving in the House of Representatives, Steel spent stints on the California State Board of Equalization and Orange County Board of Supervisors.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, also from California, responded to Chen’s comments by calling on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) to “disavow” Chen.
“Disgraceful remarks like those uttered by Jay Chen have no place in our nation’s political discourse and the DCCC must act unless they approve of these racist remarks. Michelle Steel is an inspiration to first-generation Americans and I look forward to serving with her in the People’s House for many years to come,” said McCarthy in a statement given to Fox News.
Mandy Mundy, a spokeswoman for the DCCC, declined to express regret over Chen’s comments in a statement delivered to National Review.
“This is just more gaslighting and deception from the man who has handed over the keys to his caucus to white supremacists and advocates of racist replacement theory. Michelle Steel needs to explain to Orange County families why she says she wants to lower health care costs yet voted against capping insulin at $35, and why she says she wants to create American jobs but voted against a job-creating bill that will help us out-compete China. Steel says one thing at home and does another in Washington, which is why Orange County voters can’t trust her,” said Mundy.
“I’ve dealt with racist attacks my whole life, but it won’t stop me from proudly sharing my voice,” declared Steel on Twitter.