GOP congressman defends profanity-laced rant at teens in Capitol

• The Wisconsinite also called the pages "jacka**es" and "pieces of s**t," according to a transcript obtained by The Hill.

The latest: The lawmaker said in a statement to Axios that "bad press has never bothered me and if it's the price I pay to stand up for what's right, then so be it."

• "The Capitol Rotunda served as a field hospital where countless Union soldiers died fighting to free men in the Civil War," he said, adding that the Capitol "should never be treated like a frat house common room."

Van Orden, who won election to Congress in 2022, was photographed on Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6 riot.

• He has claimed he left the complex after it became "clear that a protest had become a mob."

The other side: "These are kids," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), said at a press conference on Thursday. "They come here bright-eyed, ready to learn about America ... and serve the Senate, which they do. They're really invaluable to us."

• The majority leader called the incident "awful" and "utterly despicable," adding: "Compounding the injury, he doesn't even apologize to them. What the heck is the matter with him?"
• Schumer said he and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told the pages on Thursday evening "how much we value them" and that Van Orden was a "horrible outlier."

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.