After GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley proclaimed during a Fox News interview Tuesday that America has "never been a racist country," she faced a firestorm of criticism not just from the left but the right as well, with some popular conservative commentators like Dan Bongino blasting the third-place finisher in the Iowa caucuses for her "incoherence" and inability to forthrightly "answer a simple question."

READ: Haley's Explanation for Civil War Question Snafu: 'A Democrat Plant' Made Me Do It

On Thursday, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) appeared on CNN and was asked about Haley's remarks. 

After talking about what she called "institutional" and "systemic racism" in America, Lee told a story of something she says happened to her when she tried to enter the "members only" elevator in the Capitol building:

She went on to share a personal story about how she faced racism in the halls of Congress, when a white man stopped her from entering a members-only elevator as she was on her way to vote. At the time, Lee said, she was wearing her member’s pin, which identified her as a member of Congress. 

“He blocked me from getting into the elevator and told me I was not a member of Congress and it was for members only,” Lee said. “I said, ‘Sir, I’m a member of Congress.’ And I showed him my pin and he said, ‘Whose pin did you steal?’ This is an example of what personal racism is and how people of color constantly have to deal with this each and every day.”

Watch:

Rep. Barbara Lee: “I was walking to the Capitol and a man stopped me, a white guy, and told me I could not get into the members’ elevator...He told me it was for members only. I said, 'Sir, I’m a member of Congress' and showed him my pin. And he said, 'Whose pin did you steal?'" pic.twitter.com/RGhOpfTMjM

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 19, 2024

Unfortunately, there is a history of these types of incidents happening at the Capitol, as explained by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) during a Senate speech back in 2016:

Scott, who is black, said that as recently as last year he was stopped by a Capitol Police officer who did not recognize him as a senator even though he was wearing his member’s pin.

“The pin, I know. You, I don’t,” Scott recalled the officer saying with “a little attitude.” Scott said the tone of the encounter suggested that the officer believed he was impersonating a senator.

The South Carolina Republican said he received a call later that evening from a Capitol Police supervisor apologizing for the officer’s behavior. It was the third such call he has received from either the chief of the Capitol Police or a supervisor since joining the Senate in 2013, he said.

Now is it possible Scott and Lee legitimately weren't recognized? Sure. Is it possible that racism was a factor in their treatment? It is absolutely possible.

But the problem with these stories, when they come from Democrats in particular, is that they are suspect, and I'm not just talking about Lee here but any Democrat no matter their skin color. 

Democrats are infamous for disingenuously trotting out the race card and/or making up/embellishing stories of alleged racist incidents that, when they come under the microscope, bear little resemblance to the story we were originally told - or otherwise can't be proven.

Lee herself is infamous for playing the race card, as she did with California Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023 over his plan to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein with a black woman who had no intentions of running for the office in 2024.

Incredibly, Lee insinuated Newsom's plan was racist:

 The idea that a Black woman should be appointed only as a caretaker to simply check a box is insulting to countless Black women across this country who have carried the Democratic Party to victory election after election.

If the story Lee told happened, it's appalling and should be investigated.

But therein resides part of the problem. Other than Lee's words, we have no evidence this actually happened. Surely there would be a video, right?

"There are security cameras at every elevator. Show us proof," wrote one Twitter user, which was a popular sentiment in response to the video.

Another asked "Was he wearing a MAGA hat and carrying a Subway Sandwich Jussie?"

"When the demand for racism outstrips supply, people invent stories like this," New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz opined.

To be fair, just because videos may not exist when someone makes these allegations doesn't automatically mean they aren't true. It just makes them harder to prove.

But because Democrats have watered down the definition of racism over the last several decades to essentially mean "disagreement with Democrats," and are prone to telling tall tales of being targeted by Republican members of Congress based on their race (looking at you, AOC) in order to shut down legitimate debate, it makes it increasingly hard to believe anything they say on the issue.

Sorry not sorry, but you made your beds on this one, Democrats. Shouldn't be surprised when you get doubted. And that's exactly the problem when false allegations are made; it makes actual stories of racism (sexism, or what have you) all the harder to believe and increases the likelihood that actual victims won't step forth.

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