GOP Congressman Addresses Dark-Skinned U.S. Officials as if They Are Indian Diplomats

Florida Rep. Curt Clawson repeatedly addressed two United States government officials as if they were representatives of the Indian government during a congressional hearing on Thursday—presumably because they both had dark skin and South Asian names. Foreign Policy has the scoop. Some video (Foreign Policy has a few more uncomfortable moments at their site):

Writes FP: “The two officials, Nisha Biswal and Arun Kumar, are Americans who hold senior positions at the State Department and Commerce Department.” (They are both Indian-American.)

Clawson won the election to represent Florida’s 19^th District …

… after the previous officeholder, Trey Radel, was arrested for cocaine possession and resigned.

This post has been updated with video.