Rep. Tom Suozzi Caught Faking Phone Call to Dodge Questions on Anti-ICE LA Riots!
Long Island Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi appeared to avoid questions regarding the violent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles by pretending to take a phone call, a moment caught on camera.
The awkward incident occurred outside the US Capitol Thursday, when a man waiting to question Suozzi was met with the congressman briefly greeting him before quickly putting his phone to his ear.
“Sorry, hold on, I got a call,” Suozzi stated, as footage obtained by the Daily Caller shows him fake-answering with the iMessage app visible on his phone’s home screen.
The representative, who serves New York’s Third District, continued this ruse as the person questioned him about the ongoing unrest in Los Angeles.
“Congressman, what do Democrats mean when they say the LA riots are peaceful?” the man asked. Suozzi ignored the question and walked away.
Another question about whether throwing rocks at moving cars counts as peaceful led Suozzi to turn to the camera and claim, “Sorry, I’m on the phone.”
As the individual asked if he “considers throwing rocks at a moving car as peaceful,” Suozzi again dismissed the question and walked away, pretending to speak with no one.
“Enjoy the fake phone call,” the questioner remarked, as Suozzi hurried off, still acting as if on an urgent call.
Maureen O’Toole, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, called Suozzi’s tactic “cowardly.”
“Two-faced Tom Suozzi claims to be a ‘commonsense Democrat,’ yet he avoids questions about the violence by faking a call. He refuses to stand for law and order,” O’Toole stated reported by the Independent Journal Review.
O’Toole added, “His actions reveal weakness and a lack of courage. Instead of addressing the unrest, he chose to hide behind a phony call. It’s disgraceful.”
Suozzi has yet to comment on the incident, which comes amid ongoing protests and violence in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement efforts. President Trump responded by deploying hundreds of Marines and thousands of National Guard troops to restore order, as streets flooded with rioters, looting, and arson.
Some local officials have downplayed or outright denied the violence, while others criticized the handling of the protests. Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa) was among the few Democrats to publicly condemn the chaos, stating, “This is anarchy and chaos. My party loses moral high ground when we refuse to condemn burning cars and attacking police.”