Full Breakdown
Maryland Delegates’ Racist Video Prompts Apology Demand
5/13/2026, 2:23:14 AM
Controversial Video
On April 30, 2026, Republican delegates Mark Fisher and Brian Chisholm posted a 13-minute video on X and YouTube. The clip mocked Democratic Delegate Chao Wu, a Chinese-born engineer, by mimicking an Asian accent, invoking a “muddy water” proverb, and labeling him a “Chinese Communist” spy (“Chicom”) while questioning his loyalty.
Legislative Background
Wu sponsored HB823 in 2025, requiring AI firms to disclose training data. Co-sponsors Lily Qi, Heather Bagnall, Terri Hill, Bernice Mireku-North, N. Scott Phillips, Sheila Ruth, Matthew Schindler and Natalie Ziegler. The bill failed a committee vote; Fisher said the disclosures would reveal trade secrets.
Key Figures
Delegate Chao Wu (Democrat, Howard/Montgomery) is a Ph.D. engineer with FDA and Maryland Aerospace experience. Mark Fisher (Calvert) and Brian Chisholm (Anne Arundel) are Freedom Caucus members. House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk (Democrat) demanded an apology. The Maryland Legislative AAPI Caucus, chaired by Lily Qi, condemned the remarks; the Maryland Freedom Caucus defended the delegates.
Timeline
Apr 30 2026 – Video posted; May 8 2026 – Speaker demands apology; May 9 2026 – AAPI Caucus supports Wu; May 10 2026 – Freedom Caucus rebuts; May 11 2026 – Chisholm declines apology.
Official Statements & Responses
Peña-Melnyk called the remarks disrespectful and expressed disappointment. The AAPI Caucus denounced the racist attacks. Wu reaffirmed his focus on data-driven solutions. The Freedom Caucus dismissed the speaker’s letter as a budget-issue distraction and speech policing.
Criticism & Opposition
The Freedom Caucus framed the video as a transparency probe, not a racial issue. Critics Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller and Delegate Lily Qi called the mocking tone xenophobic and harmful to civil discourse.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Fisher cited a Washington Examiner piece linking Wu’s leadership of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association to CCP monitoring. Wu said the role involved assisting Chinese graduate students with housing and tuition, offering no espionage evidence. No independent verification exists.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Reducing a colleague to harmful stereotypes, questioning his loyalty because of where he was born, and mocking the way he speaks is disrespectful and unbecoming of anyone entrusted with public service,” — Joseline Peña-Melnyk, House Speaker
- “I am a proud new American and a public servant,” — Chao Wu, Delegate
- “If you are someone who moves from a communist country to the United States, you know what you never do? You never, ever, ever register as a Democrat because the Democrats are most like the communists that you just fled,” — Mark Fisher, Delegate
- “Xenophobia and bigotry have no place in the Maryland legislature.” — Lily Qi, AAPI Caucus Chair
What’s Next
Peña-Melnyk has asked Fisher and Chisholm to delete the video and issue an apology. As of the latest reports, the delegates have not complied. The dispute is expected to shape primary races, especially Chisholm’s contested campaign, and may prompt legislative reviews of decorum and anti-discrimination policies.
