U.S. Representative Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) speaks to the media outside the U.S. Capitol following a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on the final passage of U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
Reps. Mark Pocan (D‑Wis.) and Derrick Van Orden (R‑Wis.) got into a verbal clash on Capitol Hill, exchanging insults and expletives during a tense moment. The exchange started when Van Orden revved his motorcycle while Pocan was being interviewed by Spectrum News about proposed cuts to public broadcasting.
Pocan accused Van Orden of sharing a "drunken tweet," while Van Orden retorted by suggesting that Pocan should seek "mental health counseling."
Van Orden rode up on his Harley‑Davidson, interrupted the interview, and the situation escalated from there, with Pocan calling him out.
"Hey Derrick. Classy as always, man," Pocan said as soon as Van Orden came up to him and the interviewer. Van Orden responded: "Have you lost your mind? People read this stuff."
Pocan responded with another insult, saying: "I saw your drunken tweet at 1.30 in the morning last night."
"Listen Mark, you've got a problem, and I don't know what this is," Van Orden said, adding that Pocan needs "mental health counseling."
Pocan then asked the Republican lawmaker to debate him over President Donald Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill," which Van Orden gloated about in a now-deleted tweet.
"Are you drinking right now, Derrick? That's the real question," Pocan added.
Both Wisconsin lawmakers have a history of public disputes.
Earlier this month, Pocan released a statement "fact-checking: Van Orden "after a weekend of nonsense tweets, eight in total, claiming credit for earmarking Wisconsin’s hospitals $1 billion."
“It’s rich that Rep. Van Orden is claiming credit for $1 billion coming to Wisconsin hospitals. I didn’t realize he was serving in the State Legislature and Congress simultaneously. It was a bipartisan majority in the State Assembly and the State Senate, as well as Governor Evers, that helped Wisconsin secure $1 billion by finally expanding the provider tax rate from one of the lowest in the country to the highest level possible," the Democratic lawmaker said in the statement.
Watch the exchange below, or by clicking this link.
Watch an extraordinary moment on Capitol Hill caught on camera.
WI Congressmen @RepVanOrden and @RepMarkPocan frequently spar online, but the confrontation today was in person with both sides hurling insults.
Full story: https://t.co/omiq3JPMdK@SpectrumNews1WI@SpectrumNewsDCpic.twitter.com/CGeFKIDT20
— Charlotte Scott (@reportsbychar) July 16, 2025