Democrat Rep. Says Middle Finger Was In Response To 'Offensive And Misogynistic Comment,' Doesn't Offer Specifics

Congresswoman Linda Sanchez has broken her silence after flipping the bird Thursday night.

The congresswoman from California stunned fans and viewers during the Congressional Baseball Game when she flipped the middle finger to Republican players.

Now, she's claiming her reaction was in response to unspecified "bigotry" from someone on the GOP team.

"The Congressional Baseball Game is one of my favorite events of the year. It’s a great cause and brings both sides of the aisle together for a night off from partisan politics. That is why it really struck a nerve when I heard an offensive and misogynistic comment from the Republican side on my way back to the dugout. In the heat of the moment, I reacted. I have no tolerance for men who make women feel like they are unimportant or don’t belong – especially on the field. I will always stand against that kind of bigotry," Sanchez said in a statement released to the media Friday.

In a statement given to OutKick from a rep for Congressman Roger Williams when I asked if he heard anything offensive, the coach of the GOP team claimed he didn't even know what was going on.

"The Congressman did not hear the comment, nor did he see Rep. Sanchez give the middle finger. He only found out about it later," the Williams staffer told OutKick.

In an attempt to press Sanchez for specifics of what was said given the serious allegations in her statement, I made several calls to her office and emailed her staff for further details.

Her phone was not being answered and her mailbox was full. As of 5:00 pm EST, no response from her office had been sent via email to address what exactly was said to her that was so "offensive and misogynistic."

Furthermore, local radio producer Corey Inganamort claimed to have been in the dugout during the middle finger incident and tweeted "Nothing offensive or misogynistic was said by anybody."

If something was said, the American public deserves to know what it was, and Congresswoman Sanchez should certainly offer specifics if she's going to level serious allegations of bigotry against her colleagues.

Written by
David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.