The Most Disturbing Congressional Moments Caught On Camera 》

For better or for worse, most of what our politicians do every day is caught on camera. This includes members of Congress, and the fact that so much of their activity is recorded is usually a good thing. These are the politicians who are changing major facets of the country, and it’s important for Americans to review recorded footage and hold these elected officials accountable for what they’re doing (or, in many cases, not doing).

However, sometimes the footage goes beyond capturing people doing their jobs and we see some moments that are downright uncomfortable to watch. These are the kinds of moments where, after you watch the video, you’re left with one terrified question: why are we letting these crazy people run the country?!

If you’d like to share in our frustration, we’ve brought the receipts. Keep reading to discover the most disturbing congressional moments ever caught on camera!

Science stupidity and a…snowball?

Back in 2015, climate scientists dropped a scary revelation on us: 2014 had been the hottest year on record. Their conclusion was bleak but not unsurprising: if we didn’t collectively work together to reduce and reverse the impacts of man-made climate change, we might get past the point of no return and start rapidly heading toward downright hellish temperatures.

In order to dispute this report, Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe brought a snowball to the House floor to somehow disprove global warming. The idea was crazy on the face of it…a bit like bringing in a Happy Meal and claiming that its existence in the room meant that world hunger doesn’t exist. But what makes the clip truly surreal is when the senator throws the snowball, leaving everyone (including Inhofe himself!) with an expression that seems to say “what the heck just happened?”

Dianne Feinstein had no idea what was going on

Last year, longtime Senator Dianne Feinstein spoke up and gave a speech in support of a proposed defense bill. A senator giving a speech normally isn’t a big deal, but Feinstein seemed to have no idea that they were in the middle of voting for it. In a truly uncomfortable sight, two others had to tell her to “just vote aye.”

This moment kicked off widespread speculation that Feinstein was too old to serve her country in this way: she was 89 years old and had already faced health issues that could affect her memory. Furthermore, this wasn’t even the first time that the senator seemed confused about what was going on around her. At the bare minimum, this moment made more people than ever before consider the benefits of age limits for elected officials.

A fighter turned senator…turned fighter

Oklahoma’s Markwayne Mullin has had a very unconventional path to politics. Considering that he’s a former MMA fighter, nobody is very surprised when Mullins goes aggressive in trying to make his points. However, things got a little too aggressive in 2023 when he tried to get into a fistfight with a teamster!

It all started when Mullins read a prepared statement intended to eviscerate International Brotherhood of Teamsters president Sean O’Brien. After Mullins said the other man only “pretends like he’s self-made” and called him a “clown” and “fraud,” O’Brien had clearly had enough and challenged Mullins to a fight. Incredibly, Mullins accepted the challenge, leaving Bernie Sanders and other politicians to try to break up a fight as surely as if they were breaking up a middle school brawl!

Mitch McConnell keeps freezing up

Last year, Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell fell and hit his head. He allegedly made a full recovery afterward, but there were multiple incidents later that year that put his recovery into question. The first incident occurred in July, when McConnell froze up, seemingly unable to speak, in the middle of an interview. He was escorted away and later, after he was brought back, we were assured he was just fine.

Those assurances felt especially hollow the very next month when an interviewer asked McConnell about whether he’d run for re-election again. Again, he seemed to completely freeze up, leaving an aide to ask for the question to be repeated. McConnell hasn’t frozen up since then, but two incidents once again kicked off national discourse about how old is too old to be an elected official.

Lots of creepy kissing

While most Congressional drama involves fighting (sometimes quite literally), some of the creepiest moments involve affection rather than aggression. A prime example of this is when Nancy Pelosi introduced Ohio Republican John Boehner as Speaker of the House: as he accepted the giant symbolic gavel from her, Boehner apparently tried to kiss Pelosi full on the lips, and he only landed on her cheek because she turned her head away right before contact.

Not to be outdone by Boehner’s creepy kissing, Joe Biden had his own freaky moment in 2015. During a Senate swearing-in ceremony, Biden leaned over and whispered into the ear of Delaware Senator Chris Coons daughter. He then leaned in for a kiss, and the look on the 13-year-old’s face showed exactly how she felt about having an elderly stranger suddenly trying to smooch her!