Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., attempted to storm the U.S. Department of Education on Friday, leading an angry crowd for Democratic lawmaker and their supporters to the door of the building in Washington, D.C. and threatening the only man brave enough to bar their way.
Critics quickly pounced on the scene, calling it an attempt to incite an insurrection.
Waters confronted the security personnel office Thursday after trying to force entry to the Department of Education. President Donald Trump has moved to virtually eliminate the agency as a fulfillment of one of his campaign promises.
“Look at him,” Waters said about the guard outside the building, demanding to see his identification. “C’mon hold your face up! Look at ’em!”
The California congresswoman questioned whether guards were armed and challenged them to open fire.
Maxine Waters harasses and taunts a guard at the Dept of Education building to try to force her way inside pic.twitter.com/azpQK9N9CX
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 7, 2025
🚨BREAKING: Rep. Maxine Waters and other Democrat Congress members are staging an insurrection at the Dept of Education over Trump and Elon Musk, but they’re getting the door slammed in their faces. pic.twitter.com/4QbgT0ku1Z
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 7, 2025
“Are you prepared to stay here all night?” Waters asked one officer, who confirmed he would maintain his position.
Critics blasting the confrontation as a would-be insurrection.
“The Democrats really don’t understand how absolutely horrible all this makes them look. If they supported the audits, they might win back voters. But they are just acting like hysterical criminals,” one user wrote.
Democrats defended the incident on social media.
Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-F.L., called the incident evidence of “an authoritarian regime” on social media. “They’re blocking members of Congress from entering the Department of Education,” Frost posted on X. “Elon is allowed in and not the people? ILLEGAL.”
“We aren’t dangerous. We are here to represent our people. To defend public education,” Frost wrote. “You cannot block members of Congress from entering the Department of Education.”
Some Democratic lawmakers compared the security officers stopping them from storming the Department of Education to segregation-era police who blocked Black students from entering schools during Jim Crow.
They’ve called armed federal officers to the scene. We aren’t dangerous. We are here to represent our people. To defend public education. This is an authoritarian regime. You cannot block members of Congress from entering the Department of Education. pic.twitter.com/ksM3Y9oeZR
— Maxwell Alejandro Frost (@MaxwellFrostFL) February 7, 2025
The incident follows Trump’s executive order to largely eliminate the Department of Education, fulfilling a campaign promise. The agency is currently under review by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Security officers maintained their positions throughout the confrontation, continuing to deny building access to the congressional delegation. Waters and her colleagues eventually departed without gaining entry.