GOP congressman defends controversial BLM comments while wearing a glittery St. Patrick's Day hat

Rep. Glenn Grothman
(Image credit: Fox 11 News)

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) decided to accessorize his time in the hot seat with a little holiday spirit.

Grothman was criticized last week after he claimed on the House floor that the Black Lives Matter movement "doesn't like the old-fashioned family."

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"I know it's a group that it doesn't like the old-fashioned family," he said. "I'm disturbed that we have another program here in which we're increasing the marriage penalty."

Inexplicably donning a glittery St. Patrick's Day hat, Grothman spoke to Fox 11 News on Sunday. The Wisconsin lawmaker defended his remarks by saying he was referring to the organization's "Marxist founders," and cited a Black Lives Matter webpage that called to "disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and 'villages' that collectively care for one another, especially our children."

Reporter Kia Murray asked Grothman if he understood how the remarks could be offensive. "I think it's offensive when Marxist groups, [which are] anti-family, anti-free market, anti-God, I think it's offensive when groups like that have influence in Washington," he responded.

He did not mention the hat. Summer Meza

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.