WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 12: Rep.-elect Byron Donalds (R-FL) arrives to the Hyatt Regency hotel on Capitol Hill on November 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. Orientation begins for the newly-elected members today and will run through Nov. 21. Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
Newly elected Rep. Byron Donalds claims that he has been barred from joining the Congressional Black Caucus. An aide close to the Florida A&M University graduate said that his office has reached out to the Congressional Black Caucus, but they have not received an official response. Nearly six months have passed since newly elected lawmakers arrived on Capitol Hill, therefore it is unlikely he will receive a response moving forward.
“Congressman Donalds has expressed interest in joining the CBC, but has yet to receive an official invitation,” a Donalds' aide told BuzzFeed.
“If given, he’d gladly accept.” The CBC did not respond to questions about the status of Donalds’ membership, or why he was not being let in."
Currently, there are no members of the Republican Party in the Congressional Black Caucus. Donalds believe that he was personally denied membership due to his support of former President Donald Trump. Earlier this year, he voted to oppose Biden's victory in the most recent presidential election.
“I have a perspective being a 42-year-old Black man who’s come up in America after a lot of the battles through the civil rights movement that I think would actually be helpful and a helpful perspective to the CBC,” Donalds said during a recent interview with CNN.
“Whether they want to take advantage of that is really up to them.”
Newly elected lawmakers like Cori Bush and Raphael Warnock were added to the organization at the top of the year. A “source familiar with the CBC’s plans" recently confirmed that Donalds' continued support of former reality show host Donald Trump and refusal to accept the election results has kept him out of the CBC. Donalds says that it is "off-putting" that he would learn about this through a media report.
“If my positions and my support of President Trump is a problem for them, let them state that on the record,” Donalds added.
The Congressional Black Caucus has not issued a public response to the most recent comments from the freshman congress member.
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