Shontel Brown says calling Jeffries a monkey and an errand boy is racist language that must be condemned
Shontel BrownU.S. Representative for Ohio's 11th district, posting on X
Representative Shontel Brown said that calling House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries a monkey and an errand boy is reprehensibly racist language that must be condemned, and that there must be zero tolerance for racism in political discourse.
“This is reprehensibly racist language that must be condemned. Calling Leader Jeffries a “monkey” and an “errand boy”… really? No subtext, no dog whistle, just easily going straight to “monkey”. There must be zero tolerance for racism in our political discourse. Period.”
Original post
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Were Rula Jebreal’s remarks about Hakeem Jeffries racist?
During a September 2, 2026 appearance on The Left Hook, Rula Jebreal described House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries as a “bought and paid by AIPAC monkey” and “basically an errand boy,” while immediately denying racial intent. Jebreal later apologized for the terms. The Congressional Black Caucus and several lawmakers characterized the wording as racist, while Wajahat Ali and Joy-Ann Reid emphasized intent and surrounding context while also criticizing the language.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Post on Rep. Shontel Brown's X account, reproduced in Mediaite's report on lawmakers' reactions.
Reporting
About this source
Mediaite report on Democratic lawmakers' reactions to Rula Jebreal's remarks about Hakeem Jeffries. It quotes Jebreal and reproduces the lawmakers' posts on X.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Rula Jebreal called House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries a "bought and paid by AIPAC monkey" and "just basically an errand boy" in a podcast interview with Wajahat Ali, saying she did not mean it in a racist way.
After the quotation
Jebreal also wrote in a statement on X that the term she used to describe Jeffries was inappropriate and offensive and that she apologized unconditionally. The Congressional Black Caucus and other Democratic lawmakers also condemned the remark on X.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether Rula Jebreal's remarks about Hakeem Jeffries were racist. Brown wrote that calling Jeffries a "monkey" and an "errand boy" is reprehensibly racist language that must be condemned. That is an express judgment that the language was racist, so we labeled it Condemned.
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More from this case
Read the full caseMehdi Hasan defends Jebreal: "she is not a racist or bigot"
“Rula offered an unconditional apology... Anyone who knows Rula... knows she is not a racist or bigot.”Read statement
Symone Sanders Townsend says Jebreal's apology ignored anti-Black history
“Without acknowledging that history, that is not an apology.”Read statement
Peter Beinart calls Jebreal's language racist, defends her wider record
“Rula Jebreal used racist language to criticize Hakeem Jeffries. Her comments were clearly wrong.”Read statement
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- Shontel Brown says calling Jeffries a monkey and an errand boy is racist language that must be condemned
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The Dispute Index. "Shontel Brown says calling Jeffries a monkey and an errand boy is racist language that must be condemned". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3408-representative-shontel-brown-said-that-calling-house-minority