Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) went viral on Monday for all the wrong reasons after she agreed with a Virginia radio show host that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) should keep his “cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.”

Kiggans joined Richmond’s Morning News with Rich Herrera, and as the lengthy interview wound down, Herrera thanked Kiggans and added, “Representative Kiggans, I appreciate you joining us. You’re going to be in for the fight of your life over this. Like you said, it’s a revenge seat.”

“You and Rob Whitman are going to get peppered and they’re going to throw in so much dark money from out of state. And again, if Hakeem Jeffries wants to be involved in Virginia politics, then I suggest he does what a bunch of New Yorkers are doing. Leave New York, move down here to Virginia, run for office down here.” Herrera said, adding:

You can represent us. If not, get your cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.

“That’s right. Ditto. Yes. Yes to that,” replied Kiggans, who represents a swing district that voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and narrowly for Donald Trump in 2024.

“Thank you very much, ma’am. I appreciate you joining us here on the program and we will catch up with you again soon,” Herrera said, ending the interview.

The interview was quickly clipped and went viral online. American Bridge 21st Century, a pro-Democratic Party Super Pac, posted the clip and wrote, “WOW. Jen Kiggans agrees with the host after he says Hakeem Jeffries has ‘cotton-picking’ hands.”

Former DNC Chair Donna Brazile shared the post and added, “This is some serious dog whistle and sickness. We must demonstrate that America deserves better than this!”

Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman reported on the reaction from the Congressional Black Caucus’s campaign arm, which said, “Jen Kiggans heard a vile racist slur and agreed out loud — that’s who she is. We’re going to make sure her constituents know she condones this racist crap.”

Kiggans quickly put out a statement addressing the controversy, saying, “This is precisely what’s wrong with Democrats. Every lie and distortion is intended to distract from getting their hats handed to them and the Virginia Supreme Court’s clear message: stop trying to rig our elections. The radio host should not have used that language and I do not -and did not – condone it. It was obvious to anyone listening that I was agreeing Hakeem Jefferies should stay out of Virginia. Democrats are trying to destroy Virginia’s court because they disagree with it. THAT is the real danger to our country.”

Listen to the full interview here.

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