Maxwell Frost hits back at Jim Jordan over his Tyre Nichols comments

First-term Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) is hitting back at Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for his comments that police reform legislation may have failed to prevent the “evil” of Tyre Nichols’s fatal beating at the hands of Memphis, Tenn., officers.

Jordan made his comments during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, telling host Chuck Todd that he does not know if “any law, any training, any reform” would prevent what happened to Nichols.

“Imagine if generations ago when the Civil Rights movement was at its peak and people were fighting for justice, if people like Jim Jordan said, ‘Laws are not going to do anything. It’s just human nature. There’s just evil in the world,’” Frost said in an advance clip from Comedy Central’s “Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out The News,” shared exclusively with The Hill on Tuesday.

The animated hosts of “Tooning Out the News” asked Frost, the first member of Generation Z elected to Congress, “Is Congressman Jordan right that laws won’t help, or is he simply going through his nihilistic, nothing-matters goth phase?”

“He’s going through that goth phase,” the House freshman replied. “And it’s not just a phase: This has been his politics, right?”

“We believe, right — we’re in an institution where we’re passing laws because we believe they can affect the way our country works. They can positively impact working families and all people in this country,” he added.

Body camera footage released Friday showed Nichols being brutally beaten by police for three minutes after they pulled him over during a traffic stop. Nichols did not receive medical attention for more than 20 minutes while he laid on the ground.

He experienced shortness of breath and was eventually taken to a hospital, where he died three days later.

Five officers who were involved in the incident were fired and have been charged with multiple crimes, including second-degree murder. Two additional officers were also disciplined, and three emergency responders were fired.

Activists have renewed calls for passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in the aftermath of Nichols’s death, which would prohibit chokeholds and no-knock warrants, restrict qualified immunity and require officers nationwide to wear body cameras.

The legislation passed in the House during the past session of Congress but failed to advance in the Senate.

Episodes of “Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out The News” air on Wednesdays on Comedy Central at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday’s episode will cover the killing of Tyre Nichols, former President Trump’s 2024 campaign, culture wars and the push for gun control.

— Updated at 8:18 p.m.

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