This Heated Clash Between Maxine Waters & Steve Mnuchin Has The Internet Riled Up

As you probably know by now, fighting with House Financial Services Committee Chair Maxine Waters (D-California) requires a certain level of sass and carries a high risk of embarrassment. Treasure Secretary Steven Mnuchin decided to challenge her anyway, though, and it did not go as well as he probably expected. Like always, the internet had a lot to say about the showdown, and these tweets about Maxine Waters and Steve Mnuchin's clash show that many have secondhand embarrassment from the moment.

According to CNBC, the clash started at the end of a three-hour testimony before the House Appropriations Committee and Financial Services Committee on April 9, when Mnuchin asked to leave the hearing to attend an "important" meeting with a foreign leader. Waters instead insisted that he stay an extra 15 minutes so they could wrap the hearing instead of pushing it back another day, which led to the face-off.

"If you wish to keep me here so that I do not have my important meeting and continue to grill me, then we can do that," the secretary responded. "I will cancel my meeting and I will not be back here."

Waters took him up on the apparent offer, which still received some push back from Mnuchin, who said, “You’re instructing me to stay here." More back-and-forth ensued, with Mnuchin asking to be dismissed a second time, telling Waters to “take the gravel and bang it.” Yep, he really went there.

But Waters handled his response flawlessly, firing back, “Please do not instruct me as to how I am to conduct this committee."

The heated exchange had some Twitter users seriously shaken up. Many found Waters in the right of the situation, saying that Mnuchin had indeed made her an offer. Others couldn't get past the fact that Mnuchin challenged her in the first place, considering she's, like, a master of clap backs.

"Rep Maxine Waters just reclaimed everybody’s time," one person mused.

"So many have tried to wrestle with Rep. Maxine Waters," another person wrote. "Every single time, it ends with Aunt Maxine picking them up over her head, twirling ‘em like a pizza and throwing them out of the ring."

It's really nothing but praise for Waters, if we're being honest.

"All hail Queen Maxine Waters."

As Vox points out, this isn't the first showdown for Mnuchin and Waters. They also had a heated moment during yet another House Financial Services Committee hearing back in 2017. When Waters asked Mnuchin why his office had not responded to a letter asking about the president's ties to Russia, he responded by dancing around the question, thanking her for her service and expressing his appreciation for her. Waters then interjected, saying, "I am reclaiming my time."

The moment went viral, with many using the phrase on T-shirts and incorporating it into songs.

I have a feeling that something similar may happen with this latest moment. If you see anything, ping me so I can grab a tee.