In a striking instance where politics intersected with pop culture, California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia gained significant attention on Wednesday for echoing Heather Gay, a star from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, in his criticism of former President Donald Trump.
During a House Oversight Committee session, Garcia made a compelling case against former President Donald Trump by replicating Gay’s memorable speech from the show’s season 4 finale.
“What do we have as Democrats? We have receipts, proof, a timeline, screenshots. We have everything we need to prove conclusively that foreign governments were funneling money through Trump Properties and into Donald Trump’s pockets, all in violation of the constitution,” Garcia said.
The moment captured the essence of a pivotal scene from the Bravo reality show, where Gay confronts another housewife, Monica Garcia. Gay’s assertive speech in the show was the template for Garcia’s statement in Congress.
“receipts! 👏 proof! 👏 timeline! 👏 screenshots!” #RHOSLC #HeatherGay #RealityVonTease #Shortswww.youtube.com
A House Democratic staff report recently revealed that Trump’s businesses received at least $7.8 million in foreign payments from 20 countries during his presidency. The finding was part of a multi-year investigation by the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, which argued that Trump violated the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause. The report noted that these payments occurred while foreign governments pursued their policy goals with the Trump administration.
The interaction between Garcia and Gay on social media further amplified the moment. After Gay quoted Garcia’s post, Garcia expressed his admiration for Gay’s support by tweeting, “I am truly [skull emoji] - you are iconic.” Gay responded playfully, “You forgot the claps.” Garcia, keeping the banter going, replied, “Next time!”
Garcia is the first out gay immigrant elected to Congress. He has been very open about his love for comic books, Beyoncé, and RuPaul’s Drag Race.