The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Don Young head-butted a camera to avoid answering a question about Trump

Analysis by
Politics senior video journalist
November 1, 2019 at 12:37 p.m. EDT
Republicans have repeatedly refused to say whether it was appropriate for President Trump to ask foreign governments to investigate his political rival. (Video: JM Rieger/The Washington Post)

Rarely has Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) shied away from blunt interactions: He has barreled through hallway interviews, aggressively grabbed the arms of staffers, brandished a walrus penis gavel, referred to Hispanic immigrants as “wetbacks,” held a 10-inch knife to the throat of then-Rep. John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and refused to tamp down an allegation that he may have killed a man.

On Thursday, Young added another memorable hallway interaction to his repertoire.

Asked repeatedly Thursday by the liberal group MoveOn.org about President Trump’s call for foreign governments to investigate his political rival, the 24-term lawmaker turned to MoveOn’s camera and head-butted it.

“There you go,” Young said, before heading into a nearby elevator. Young’s office did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) refused to say whether President Trump’s Ukraine actions were appropriate when asked on Oct. 31. (Video: MoveOn)

Young is certainly not unique among Republicans in dodging questions about Trump’s actions. Over the past month, at least two dozen congressional Republicans have refused to say whether it was appropriate for Trump to ask foreign governments to investigate his political rival.

Republicans have often been quick to decry the process of the House impeachment inquiry while shying away from defending Trump’s alleged actions, namely withholding military aid and a White House meeting from Ukraine until the country would commit publicly to investigating the Bidens and the 2016 election.

And even as a half-dozen House Republicans have expressed at least some concern about Trump’s conduct, not one voted Thursday to formalize impeachment inquiry procedures, even though it was House Republicans who originally demanded the vote.