President Trump’s nominee to lead Customs and Border Protection, Rodney Scott, is under fire for making what a federal judge described as a “classic rape threat” toward a former Border Patrol agent—and his excuse for it stunned senators.
During a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Ron Wyden grilled Scott about the incident. The former agent, who had previously accused Scott of fostering a toxic culture and even covering up a brutal killing, had also revealed she was raped during her time at the Border Patrol Academy.
Scott’s response to her? A tweet that read: “Lean back, close your eyes, and just enjoy the show.”
“You chose to respond with a rape threat,” Wyden said, calling the post “exceptionally troubling.”
Scott didn’t deny sending the tweet. But his defense raised eyebrows. “That was not my intent,” he said. “I was challenging her creative imagination after about four years of being insulted left and right. I had a weak moment. I apologize for that. But I was not making any type of a threat. I was challenging her creative imagination that I had asked her for.”
Wyden cut in, stunned: “Pardon me, you were challenging her creative imagination about rape?”
Scott pushed back: “That is not what I said. I was challenging her creative imagination about multiple threats, multiple allegations against me, and the agency that she would never provide any information or data to support, or any evidence. But regardless, I apologized to her.”
That wasn’t the only issue Wyden raised.
The senator also questioned Scott’s membership in a Facebook group that featured disturbing content—racist jokes, sexual posts, and even mockery of the deaths of migrants in U.S. custody. The group reportedly included crude comments about a photo of a father and child found face down in a river, suggesting the tragedy was staged.
“Your membership in this group where vile, racist, and sexually explicit posts were shared, again, is just, I think, unacceptable from a leader,” Wyden said.
Scott’s reply? He blamed “the actions of a few” for damaging his reputation. Watch the exchange below:
