Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) continues to dig herself deeper into a hole after an explosive confrontation with federal agents at the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey, on May 9, 2025. Despite clear video evidence showing her assaulting ICE officers, McIver appeared on CNN’s *State of the Union* on May 11 and denied any wrongdoing, insisting she did not “body slam” anyone.
For those who missed the chaotic scene, McIver, along with fellow Democratic lawmakers and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, descended on the Delaney Hall Detention Center, where tensions quickly escalated. What was supposed to be an “oversight visit” turned into a riotous clash between left-wing activists and federal agents. In the scuffle that ensued, Baraka was arrested, and McIver was caught on tape assaulting ICE officers while yelling and pushing her way through the chaos.
Yet when CNN’s Dana Bash brought up the damning footage, McIver vehemently denied her actions. Bash, showing the now-infamous video, asked directly, “DHS says you were body slamming an ICE officer. Is that what happened?”
McIver’s response? A flat-out refusal. “Absolutely not,” she stated, insisting, “I honestly do not know how to body slam anyone.” Her defense? She claimed that there was no video evidence to support the allegations, despite the fact that video footage clearly shows her engaging in physical altercations with officers. Instead of addressing the footage directly, McIver deflected, insisting that DHS had somehow misrepresented the situation. “What you’re watching in the video… it was a very tense situation… They created that confrontation,” McIver said, even though it was her actions that escalated the conflict in the first place.
In a typical left-wing move, McIver chose to blame ICE for her own violent behavior, framing herself as the victim. She even went as far as to imply that the confrontation wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the arrest of Mayor Baraka, a key ally of hers. She claimed that it was “difficult to watch” Baraka being arrested, though she failed to acknowledge that it was his own actions, which may have included illegal behavior, that led to his detention.
The congresswoman’s refusal to take responsibility only adds to the growing narrative of Democrat leaders who seem to think they are above the law. In their eyes, their political power gives them carte blanche to engage in lawlessness without facing any consequences. McIver’s claim that she was merely performing her duties as a member of Congress, as Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman echoed in a prior statement, falls flat when contrasted with her physical aggression against law enforcement.
Her insistence on denying the obvious, despite the mountain of evidence stacked against her, shows a troubling lack of accountability. Instead of owning up to her actions, McIver is playing the victim card, trying to shift blame onto federal agents and downplay the severity of the situation. It’s a classic case of the left’s refusal to admit fault when their actions are called into question, opting instead to blame everyone but themselves.
As this case unfolds, one thing is certain: no one, not even a sitting member of Congress, should be allowed to assault law enforcement without facing consequences. If McIver is serious about restoring order and civility, she would do well to start by owning up to her role in the chaos she helped create.
