Just weeks before one of America’s most polarized elections, a Republican state senator has sparked massive outrage after allegedly hurling a stunning hate speech at his Native American opponent during a recent bipartisan forum.
The event, held in Idaho, was later deemed “a quintessential display of race-baiting” by the now-disgraced senator who was heard angrily yelling at his Democratic opponent to “go back to where you came from,” after a Audience question about discrimination.
Sen. Dan Foreman, 71, left the event shortly after the outburst and later denied making racist comments in a Facebook post attacking the validity of the event, calling it a “supposed political forum.”
Senator Dan Foreman, 71, left the event shortly after the outbreak and later denied making racist comments in a Facebook post attacking the validity of the event.
Foreman’s opponent, Trish Carter-Goodheart, a Democratic candidate for the House District 6 seat and a member of the Nez Perce tribe, also took to Facebook after the event to share that the explosion left her shaken, stating that ” is still processing the painful events of the last few days
Foreman’s opponent, Trish Carter-Goodheart, a Democratic candidate for the House District 6 seat and a member of the Nez Perce tribe, also took to Facebook after the event to share that the explosion left her shaken and that she is “still “I was processing the painful events of the last few days.”
The incident occurred about an hour after the Sept. 30 event, held by Democratic and Republican precinct committee members in the small northern Idaho town of Kendrick.
The provocative question concerned a state discrimination bill, which Carter-Goodheart He rejected previous comments suggesting discrimination is not a major problem in the “Potato State.”
He said the state’s hate crime laws are weak and noted that the neo-Nazi group Aryan Nations made northern Idaho its base for many years.
She also talked about being the only candidate at the bipartisan event who was a person of color.
“I pointed out that just because someone hasn’t personally experienced discrimination doesn’t mean it’s not happening,” she said.
“I was making my statement, and then he got up from his seat and said, ‘I’m so sick of your liberal bullshit!’ Why don’t you go back to where you came from?
The Nez Perce tribe has lived on the Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest for more than 11,500 years, including the area where Kendrick is located.
Foreman, the incumbent, seeks re-election while defending the position he won in 2022
Foreman later defended his alleged actions on social media, naming his opponents as “far-left socialist Democrats.”
‘With the help of an event moderator who allowed them to make blatant personal attacks on Republican attendees in direct violation of forum rules, they interspersed their misleading claims of racism with their stereotypical support for the murder of unborn babies in the womb and mutilation of our youth as part of their transgender movement,” the post reads.
The 71-year-old also stated: “There is no systemic racism in America or Idaho. Idaho is a great state – the best in the Union!
Carter-Goodheart, who is seeking to unseat the incumbent who won the seat in 2022, described her account of the incident: “It was like slow motion,” she said.
‘I remember thinking, ‘Go back to where you came from’? That’s miles from where this forum takes place. We literally have plots of land that are being rented to nearby family farms.’
The Nez Perce tribe has lived on the Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest for more than 11,500 years, including the area where Kendrick is located.
The northern end of their reservation, although only a small fraction of the tribe’s historic territory, is less than 10 miles from the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall where the forum was held.
Other candidates present, Julia Parker and Rep. Lori McCann, also recalled the crash.
The 71-year-old also stated: “There is no systemic racism in America or Idaho. Idaho is a great state – the best in the Union!
The incident also forced the mother of two to have some difficult conversations while her young daughters were present. “Having conversations about racism with an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old is not something my husband Dane and I were prepared for,” she said on Facebook.
Julia Parker and Rep. Lori McCann, two other candidates present, recalled the confrontation and said Foreman stood up and screamed after Carter-Goodheart’s response.
“I stood up, faced (Foreman) and tried to calm down what was happening,” Parker recalled.
McCann added that Carter-Goodheart’s description of the incident matched her own recollection.
The event continued for about 20 minutes after Foreman left. Carter-Goodheart said she found herself staring at the only door, worried he would return.
The incident also forced the mother of two to have some difficult conversations while her young daughters were present.
“Having conversations about racism with an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old is not something my husband Dane and I were prepared for,” she said on Facebook.
“They’ve never seen a grown man have a breakdown like that.” They were scared. “I was afraid,” he added.
More candidate forums are planned in the coming weeks, leaving hopefuls in the Senate questioning the need to hold them at future public events.
Organizers of an upcoming League of Women Voters event emailed Carter-Goodheart after the event to inform her that police would be there as a precaution, adding that the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office offered guidance on the security measures your campaign can afford.
“We’ve been told it’s not a bad idea to have security,” he said.
“And we need to have honest discussions about race and discrimination and the inequalities and disparities that exist not only in Idaho but across the country.”
The confrontation comes just weeks before what has been a highly polarizing election cycle in the United States that will conclude on Election Day, November 5.