Lawmaker Ordered to Leave After Dems Got Triggered by Patriotic Suit
A Pennsylvania Republican lawmaker says he was kicked off the state House floor Tuesday after wearing a red, white and blue suit jacket ahead of America’s 250th birthday celebration.
State Rep. Eric Davanzo, who represents Pennsylvania’s 58th District in parts of Westmoreland County, said House Speaker Joanna McClinton, a Democrat, deemed his American flag-themed jacket a violation of House rules. The jacket featured red and white stripes, and Davanzo paired it with a blue tie covered in white stars, CBS News Pittsburgh reported.
“Kicked off the floor for wearing a Patriotic jacket? That’s right, it happened!” Davanzo wrote on Facebook, according to the New York Post. Watch his interview below:
Davanzo said McClinton called the jacket “a costume” and that he was told to remove it or leave the floor. He chose to leave.
“This wasn’t a costume,” Davanzo told WHP. “This is something that I truly believe in. I’m a patriot.”
The flap unfolded just days before July 4, 2026, when the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Davanzo said the patriotic display should have been uncontroversial.
“I will never apologize for putting patriotism before politics,” Davanzo said in a video posted to his Facebook page, according to CBS News Pittsburgh. “We love America. So I’m happy to put this on. I’m proud to wear this.”
Even a Democrat praised the outfit before the controversy erupted.
“That is a very colorful jacket that the representative is wearing today. Very patriotic, I see, my friend,” Rep. Jordan Harris, a Philadelphia Democrat, said, according to the New York Post.
Davanzo said the reaction from other lawmakers had been overwhelmingly positive.
“Everybody loved it,” he said. “They come up, people gave me hugs, shaking my hands.”
But McClinton’s office defended the decision, accusing Republicans of turning the chamber into a spectacle during budget negotiations.
“The House Democrats came to Harrisburg this week to do the serious work of passing a responsible budget to benefit all Pennsylvanians,” a spokesperson for McClinton said. “Some House Republicans showed up in costumes while the Senate Republicans took an early holiday vacation.”
Pennsylvania House rules give the Speaker authority to “preserve order and decorum,” and to summon the Sergeant-at-Arms when necessary. However, CBS News Pittsburgh reported that the House rules do not list specific attire regulations.
Republicans blasted Davanzo’s removal. “As the nation approaches its 250th birthday, apparently patriotic attire is not allowed,” Rep. Tim O’Neal said.
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