Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost assaulted at Sundance Film Festival event, police say
(CNN) — Utah police arrested a man who allegedly shouted that Rep. Maxwell Frost would be deported before punching him in the face at a Sundance Film Festival event, the Florida Democrat said.
The Park City Police Department said the suspect, Christian Young, entered the private party after previously being turned away and assaulted the congressman and a woman attending the event. The department said Young was arrested and booked into jail on charges of aggravated burglary and simple assault.
“Last night, I was assaulted by a man at Sundance Festival who told me that Trump was going to deport me before he punched me in the face,” Frost posted on X on Saturday evening, replying to a Variety article describing the incident. “He was heard screaming racist remarks as he drunkenly ran off. The individual was arrested and I am okay.”
Frost, 29, expressed gratitude toward venue security and local law enforcement in Park City for their assistance.
CNN has reached out to the US Capitol Police and Frost’s office for comment.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned the incident and called for the suspect to be “aggressively prosecuted.”
“Hate and political violence has no place in our country, and the entire House Democratic Caucus family stands with Maxwell,” Jeffries posted Saturday on X.
Frost made history as the first member of Generation Z elected to Congress in 2022. He has since been outspoken on a number of issues, including voting rights and gun violence prevention.
Recent acts of political violence have reignited the long-standing question of how to best keep members of Congress and their families safe. Last June, Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in their home. In September, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated at an event at Utah Valley University.
The House Sergeant at Arms announced in a December letter that each member would be given $20,000 a month for personal security and protection, following the successful implementation of a pilot program launched last summer.
Sundance, the popular independent film-centric festival, has been held in Utah for more than 40 years. It will move next year to Boulder, Colorado.
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