A Democratic congressman from Maryland, who is currently running for a U.S. Senate seat, uttered a racial slur during a House Budget Committee hearing Thursday, later apologizing and insisting it was unintentional.
Rep. David Trone said the word, which is a somewhat antiquated disparaging term for Black people, while speaking at a hearing for tax policy with Office of Budget and Management director Shalanda Young, who is Black.
"So this Republican jigaboo that — it's the tax rate that's stopping business investment, it's just completely faulty by people who have never run a business," Trone said.
"They've never been there. They don't have a clue what they're talking about."
When asked about the comment, Trone told Fox News Digital that he did, in fact, use the term, but misspoke when trying to come up with the word, "bugaboo."
"Today while attempting to use the word 'bugaboo' in a hearing, I used a phrase that is offensive. That word has a long dark terrible history. It should never be used any time, anywhere, in any conversation," Trone said.
"I recognize that as a white man, I have privilege. And as an elected official, I have a responsibility for the words I use — especially in the heat of the moment. Regardless of what I meant to say, I shouldn't have used that language," he added.
Trone recently faced condemnation when he spoke at a candidate forum earlier in March where he declared his support for granting citizenship and voting rights to the millions of illegal immigrants residing in the U.S.
Trone has a fundraising and polling advantage over his closest challenger, Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, who is Black.
