Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) said Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) should apologize for recently surfaced comments made in the early 1990s that compared black conservatives to "House Negroes."

A 1992 opinion article written by Hakeem Jeffries implied that despite his attempts to distance himself from antisemitic comments made by his uncle Leonard Jeffries, who was a black studies college professor at the time, the future Democratic leader was perhaps more aware of them than he had let on.

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In Hakeem Jeffries's writing that surfaced on Wednesday, he defended his uncle and slammed the rise of black conservatives.

"Perhaps the most frightening aspect of the rise of Black conservatives is that of their popular acceptance by the predominantly white media," Hakeem Jeffries wrote while he was a student at Binghamton University. "Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell, and Shelby Steele are hailed as our leaders and pointed to as examples for us to follow. I find it suspect when the white power structure and their propaganda emissaries, the media, tell us who our leaders should be. Do you think that a ruling elite would promote individuals who seek to dismantle their vice-like grip on power? Of course not."

In response, Donalds called upon the New York Democrat to apologize, but he said the situation points to a more important area of concern.

“Should Hakeem Jeffries apologize? Obviously for what he wrote in that essay, 100%,” the Florida Republican said on Hannity. 

“Here’s the bigger thing. I’m kind of over the phony apologies,” Donalds said. “Let’s have a real debate about black conservatism versus black liberalism. Let’s actually have a real, honest conversation about whose policies are actually going to unleash not just black America but all of America, because I think that’s the debate that the American people need to have right now today.”

Donalds blasted the double standard in reaction to Hakeem Jeffries's essay, saying the response would be different if it had been a Republican who made the comments.

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“The calls will be coming out for resignations,” he said. “If this was Kevin McCarthy, if this was Paul Ryan, if this was John Boehner, it would be a never-ending saga about why is such a person leading one of the prominent parties in America.”

Donalds also said he was not allowed to join the Congressional Black Caucus and that he believed it was because of his conservative views.