A far-right agitator caused outrage by testifying before Idaho’s House Business Committee this week wearing an offensive brownface costume.
David Pettinger, 49, arrived to discuss a bill concerning unauthorized workers in the state and the prospect of introducing an E-Verify program while wearing brown makeup, sunglasses, a wig, a beard, and handcuffs dangling from his wrist.
Surprisingly, the panel’s acting chair, Republican Rep. Josh Wheeler, allowed Pettinger to deliver his testimony unchallenged, which he duly did, speaking in Spanish.
“El Jefe, amigos,” he said. “No hablo ingles.”
When Democratic Rep. Steve Berch questioned Pettinger’s costume, reminding the committee it was not a forum for “performance theater,” Wheeler just smirked and instructed the speaker to deliver “straight testimony,” according to The Idaho Statesman.
David Pettinger addresses the Idaho House Business Committee in an offensive costume on Monday February 23, 2026 (Idaho Public Television)
When Pettinger resumed speaking in Spanish, another GOP representative, Brent Crane, asked for a break, during which the guest was persuaded to pivot to English, which he did, using his platform to attack refugees and immigrants to the United States.
Concluding his remarks, Pettinger said: “I was looking forward to giving you some entertainment and I think that you would have enjoyed that testimony substantially more, but considering that I don’t want to end up in these handcuffs again by your friends from the Idaho State Patrol in the back, we will just leave it at that.”
Democratic Rep. Nikson Mathews, chair of the House’s Queer Caucus, subsequently attempted to use his time to rebuke Pettinger over the stunt, only to be cut off and ordered to resume his seat by Wheeler.
“I have to say what happened today is unacceptable,” Mathews said. “That man should have been removed from this room.”
The acting chair – who was in place because the committee’s usual chairman, Republican Rep. Jordan Redman, was presenting the bill under discussion – had broad authority to simply bar Pettinger from speaking by invoking House rules on decorum, but chose not to do so, the Statesman pointed out.
The House committee’s acting chair was attacked for failing to invoke its rules on decorum to block Pettinger’s appearance (iStock/Getty)
Pettinger is well-known in Idaho political circles and has a history of “racist, misogynist and morally repugnant performances,” according to the site, including previously dressing as a prom queen wearing a sash bearing the name of a legislator accused of rape.
He has also appeared as the Joker, a “Little Gay King,” and as Adolf Hitler outside of a Tesla dealership to attack Elon Musk.
Prior to his committee appearance, Pettinger posted a Facebook selfie in which he wore the same brownface costume, topped off with a rainbow sombrero.
“No matter your politics, this is racist and absolutely unacceptable behavior from our elected officials,” the ACLU of Idaho wrote in a statement in response to his latest outrage.
“Our elected officials should be leading public forums with civility and respect, not hate.”
Also responding was PODER of Idaho, a social justice organization standing up for the state’s Latino and migrant communities, which said on Facebook: “Our legislature is supposed to be a place for serious policy discussion, not racist theatrics. This was hate speech, plain and simple.
“It was a deliberate distraction from the E-Verify bill that many of us showed up to testify on in good faith. Our legislature is supposed to be a place for serious policy discussion – not racist theatrics.
“This was hate speech, plain and simple. It was a deliberate distraction from the E-Verify bill that many of us showed up to testify on in good faith.”
