During COVID Origins Hearing, Congressman Calls Out Witness for Book on Race

During a House Oversight subcommittee hearing on Wednesday about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rep. Kweisi Mfume called out one of the witnesses, Nicholas Wade, over his book “A Troublesome Inheritance” and the praise it received from white supremacists.

Video Transcript

KWEISI MFUME: However, I must go back to what my ranking member said, that I am a bit appalled that this hearing now gets layered over with the issue of race in a very strong way with the presence of Mr. Wade. And, Mr. Wade, I have read your book, and I’m appalled by it. And I would hope that giving you this platform does not paint or taint the issue that we’re trying to get to and deal with here.

You’re not a physician. You are not a physician’s assistant. You’re not a scientist. You’ve never done a peer-reviewed paper. And yet, you’ve got an opinion, which is fine, except that it’s steeped in this conspiracy theory that, somehow or another, minorities are so genetically different that they are culpable in some sort of way. And I just– I don’t like that at all.

In your book, “The Troublesome Inheritance,” you talk about a number of different things. And David Duke talks about it, and says that he really endorses your position on Blacks and Jews. The book was championed by the infamous white supremacist Jared Taylor, John [INAUDIBLE], and Steve Sailer. The book has been promoted on a neo-Nazi forum that is linked to almost 100 racially-motivated attempted murders over the last five years.

And it troubles me that– and I’m going to ask unanimous consent, Mr. Chairman– that the “New York Times” piece for which you wrote actually said that your theory has come off at the wheels, particularly when you talk about East Asians and their genetic makeup. I’d like to ask that the David Duke statement and the copy from his website be entered into the record. And I’d like that the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks these things annually, and their assessment, which is similar, be added to the record.

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