A video of Senator Jim Banks, a Republican of Indians, who told a man in Capitol Hill who identified himself as a recently dismissed employee of health and human services who “probably deserved it” because “it seems that a clown” has become viral.
The man committed to banks in the video is identified as Mack Schroeder.
ABC has not confirmed independently that Schroeder is a federal employee dismissed, but Schroeder told CNN on Wednesday that he was not in the Capitol to “recover his work”, but wanted to ask the legislators what they were going to do to ensure that the residents were “receiving the services to which they are entitled.”
“While we reduce workers who really make sure the subsidies go out the door to the programs,” said Schroeder in CNN. He said he had worked on programs that support people with disabilities and older adults.
The member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jim Banks, questions Lieutenant General retired from the John Caine Air Force during his confirmation hearing to be promoted to General and President of the Joint General Staff of the General Staff, on April 1, 2025, in Washington, DC
Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP
“Then, I expected him to have, you know, some kind of plan to say, that is why we are cutting the workers. This is how we will continue to support Indiana residents. But he only responded, as he saw,” said Schroeder.
Schroeder told USA Today that he was among a small group of other federal workers who protested on Tuesday when he registered the interaction with the banks, saying: “Hello, he was an HHS worker. He was illegally fired on February 14. There are many people who are not obtaining social service programs, especially people with disabilities. Are you going to do something to stop what is happening?”
It was then that Banks told Schroeder that he probably deserved to be fired.
Schroeder told CNN that he was surprised by Banks’ strong reaction.
“First, I didn’t ask him what he is doing to help me restore in my position? I wasn’t asking: ‘Why did they fire me? What are you going to do to make sure that I and other employees obtained their work?’ He was just asking: “What are you doing with social services that are being specifically reducing for people with disabilities?” Schroeder told CNN.
“He did not even answer my question … I have not heard an answer about the plan, since many of these staff members are cut and the programs are potentially disbursed,” he added.
Shortly after the appearance of Schroeder, Banks appeared in CNN and referred to Schroeder as an “instigator” that is “in the halls of the Senate office buildings every day chasing Republicans like me and encouraging the Democrats who walk through the halls.”
“You don’t need much here to deduce that he is a leftist activist and for what I have no tolerance is that someone who believes is entitled to a job financed by taxpayers.”
He remained in his interaction with Schroeder and said he was glad that Trump eliminated waste jobs in the government.
“I’m not going to avoid or back or apologize for what I had to say [Tuesday]. This was an instigating activist calculated in the corridors of the Senate and I don’t have much tolerance. “
Asked by CNN if I had similar opinions about each employee who was fired, Banks said: “Of course not. My comments were addressed to this partner who, again, can not even explain what he does. It was a job that aroused the dollars of the taxpayers and I am grateful that President Trump eliminated that job to save tax dollars.”
Banks is completely hugging the setback he is receiving.
First, he published the video of his exchange in X, in which he is seen calling man a “clown”, adding: “Hard truth.”
The former open receiver of the NFL Star Antonio Brown called Banks the “Cookie of the Day”, and Banks replied: “Thank you, Ab. I feel honest!”
He has also changed his profile picture in X to his smiling face through the crack of the elevator door, and another video publication where he declares: “I will not apologize for telling the truth. 100% support in the mission of President Trump and Doge to reduce the expenditure of the alarm and waste of the government.”
And another publication in X: “I do not sympathize with leftist activists who have been left aside from excess positions that should never have existed. Sympathy for Hoosiers workers whose tax dollars have been wasted when financed these positions.”
