A newly-elected Republican congresswoman has accused House Speaker Nanci Pelosi of pushing her young daughter during a photo op. Rep Mayra Flores from Texas took to Twitter on Sunday to allege that Pelosi pushed during a photo op following her swearing-in ceremony at the US Capitol last week where she and her daughter posed with Pelosi.
The congresswoman's two daughters were standing beside Pelosi who appeared to 'elbow' one of them during the ceremony. A video of the incident shared among the conservatives following the incident has since gone viral on social media, with many lambasting Pelosi for being insensitive. However, it was not clear in the video if contact was made.
Elbowing a Child
The incident took place as Pelosi welcomed the newly-elected Flores, 30, to the House of Representatives. The two lawmakers shook hands and completed the ceremony without incident.
However, the drama unfolded as Flores and her family were asked for a photo op with Pelosi. The video appears to show that Pelosi did "elbow" her young daughter who is seen standing next to the House Speaker.
"No child should be pushed to the side for a photo op. PERIOD!!" Flores captioned a retweet of the video.
"I am so proud of my strong, beautiful daughter for not allowing this to faze her," she said. "She continued to smile and pose for the picture like a Queen.
Pelosi can be seen in the video waving off-camera as she looks down at Flores' daughter who is standing next to her and extends her elbow as the toddler leans to the side.
Flores didn't seem to notice it at the time, but when the video was widely circulated, she made a statement.
Pelosi Lambasted
The video doesn't clearly show if Pelosi's arm touches the girl, but actor-turned-Republican commentator James Woods claimed it is proof of the Democratic legislator "showing her true colors."
"I love this princess stood her ground, while Nancy showed her true colors," Woods said. Not only Woods, but several others also have been lambasting Pelosi for her insensitive behavior.
The video was earlier shared by a pro-Republican account called "'Face' of America", who wrote: "Nancy tried to bully Mayra Flores' Daughter, but our little queen stood her ground!!"
In response to the video, conservative commentator and talk show host Benny Johnson referred to Pelosi as a "witch." "Nancy Pelosi ELBOWS the little daughter of new GOP Congresswoman Mayra Flores — what a witch," he tweeted.
The footage at the center of the controversy was recorded at the ceremonial swearing-in Pelosi hosted for Flores on Tuesday.
"It's a great honor to welcome Congresswoman Flores to the Capitol and to the Congress of the United States with great congratulations," Pelosi said on Sunday. "And again, grateful for her leadership and her beautiful family who is here today."
Flores was also officially sworn in during the ceremony, becoming the first Mexican-born congresswoman.
"Thank you, Congresswoman Flores, for your courage to run for office and best wishes for your success," Pelosi added during the ceremony. "It's an honor to work with you."
Earlier this month, after Democrat Rep. Filemon Vela resigned from Congress to work for a lobbying firm, Flores was elected to the House to represent Texas' 34th congressional district.
Flores, a vocal pro-life Texan, also applauded the recent Roe v. Wade decision by the US Supreme Court. After finishing Vela's remaining term, Flores will run against Democratic candidate Vicente Gonzalez in a new election in November.
