New York Rep. Eliot Engel was caught on a hot mic asking for a chance to speak before a group of protesters because of his primary.
Engel, a Democrat who is the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, attended a gathering of New York City officials speaking to the public about looting that took place in the Bronx amid protests against racial injustice and police brutality following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Just before the event started, Engel was caught on a hot mic asking Ruben Diaz Jr., the Bronx borough president, if he could speak.
“We cannot have all the electeds talk,” Diaz told Engel. “We would never get out of here. Please bear with me. I’ll announce everybody. I appreciate you coming. I’ve got to go down the list. There are just too many folks here.”
“If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care,” Engel said. He repeated the remark after Diaz asked him to say it again.
Diaz responded, “Don’t do that to me. Everybody has a primary.”
“Just announce me,” Engel said. “As long as we’re announced.”
The moment was captured on two livestreams of the event.
!!! @RepEliotEngel heard on hot mic asking @rubendiazjr for a turn to speak, says twice, “If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care.”
Diaz responds, “Don’t do that to me.”
(h/t @News12BX livestream) pic.twitter.com/eQnkzLiEId
— Emily Ngo (@emilyngo) June 2, 2020
Engel is facing a difficult primary in his district. According to a report from NY1, his two left-wing primary opponents joined forces earlier this week to try to stop him from winning the primary, which all but guarantees a win in the general election in November. Andom Ghebreghiorgis dropped out and endorsed education activist Jamaal Bowman to face Engel on June 23.
Protests have taken place throughout the U.S. to honor Floyd’s death and advocate for changes in policing and racial injustice. Floyd died after being arrested by a Minneapolis police officer who held him down by kneeling on his neck.
