The Democratic front-runner in what could be one of the most closely watched Senate races this year uttered a racial slur during a House Budget Committee hearing Thursday, something he said was unintentional.
Rep. David Trone, D-Md., dropped the derogatory term for Black people while speaking during the tax policy hearing with Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Budget and Management, who was testifying before the committee.
“So this Republican nonsense that it's the tax rate that's stopping business investment is completely wrong from people who have never run a business,” he said. “They've never been there. They have no idea what they're talking about.”
TOP DEMOCRAT IN A LEARNING SENATE RACE BACKS THE RIGHT OF CITIZENSHIP VOTING FOR MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Rep. David Trone, D-Md., arrives at the U.S. Capitol before the House voted to keep the government funded through March, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
When contacted for comment, Trone admitted to Fox News Digital that he used the term, but said he was wrong to want to use a different word.
“Today, in attempting to use the word 'bugaboo' in a hearing, I used a phrase that is offensive. That word has a long, dark and terrible history. It should never be used at any time, anywhere or in any conversation,” he said Throne.
“I recognize that, as a white man, I have a privilege. And as an elected official, I have responsibility for the words I use, especially in the heat of the moment. Regardless of what I meant, I should not have used that language,” he added.
HILLARY CLINTON ENTERS A CRUCIAL SENATE RACE THAT COULD DETERMINE THE BALANCE OF POWER
Rep. David Trone, Democrat of Maryland and US Senate candidate, during a roundtable discussion on federal policy goals for women's health issues in Rockville, Maryland, US, on Saturday December 9, 2023. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Earlier this week, Trone faced criticism for other comments he made at a candidate forum earlier this month in which he declared his support for granting citizenship and voting rights to millions of illegal immigrants residing in the US
He has a fundraising and polling advantage among a crowded Democratic primary field. His closest rival is Prince George's County Executive. Angela Alsbrookswhich is black
Fox News Digital has reached out to Alsobrooks for comment.
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Angela Alsobrooks speaks during a campaign event for her candidacy for the United States Senate at Monument City Brewing Company in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 23, 2023. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
He will likely face the former Republican governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, in the general elections. Early polls suggested a tight race between the two. However, a Washington Post/University of Maryland poll released Wednesday showed Hogan with a double-digit lead.
Election analysts rate the race as “likely” Democratic, but Hogan's name recognition and high approval rating as he concluded his second term last year could pose an even bigger challenge to Democrats' hopes of maintaining control of the Senate.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 election campaign, exclusive interviews and more in our Fox News Digital Election Center.
