Dem Rep Raskin Gets Demolished By An African Entrepreneur On Capitol Hill [WATCH]

On Tuesday, entrepreneur Magatte Wade testified before the House Judiciary Committee during a hearing titled “Reining In the Administrative State: Regulatory and Law Reform.”

During her testimony, Wade challenged Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) for focusing on Elon Musk instead of addressing the impact of overregulation on American businesses.

Wade, an immigrant and business owner, spoke about her experience navigating regulatory systems in both the United States and Africa.

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She warned lawmakers about the dangers of excessive government regulation, drawing a direct connection between economic freedom and prosperity.

At one point during the hearing, Wade took issue with Raskin’s insistence on discussing Musk rather than the broader regulatory issues affecting businesses.

“Mr. Raskin, your words earlier really, really worried me, and I will tell you why,” Wade said.

“When you say we are here and we should be here to talk about Mr. Elon Musk and all the unconstitutional things that he’s doing, and you said we shouldn’t be here to talk about regulation or anything like that. First of all, I want to say, then why did you have me here?”

Wade, who has operated businesses in California, Texas, and New York, emphasized that she came to the hearing expecting a discussion on the regulatory state.

“As an entrepreneur, my time is valuable. I came here because I thought we were going to talk about the regulatory state and why it matters,” she said.

“So, you need to make up your mind on that. I’m deeply offended by what you said there.”

Wade drew from her personal experience to illustrate how overregulation cripples economic growth.

She argued that excessive government controls have turned Africa into the poorest region in the world and warned that the U.S. could suffer similar consequences.

“Because where I come from, the overregulation causes us to be where we are. My continent, Africa, is the poorest region in the world today because it happens to be the most overregulated region in the world,” she explained.

She further detailed the human cost of excessive regulations, stating, “What does overregulation mean for regular people? It means death, death, literally.”

She described how people risk their lives trying to flee overregulated nations in search of economic opportunity elsewhere.

“People are packing themselves into little fishermen’s boats, trying to leave nations that are overregulated, therefore no jobs, and then they have to leave and go seek jobs someplace else,” Wade said.

Later in her testimony, Wade again addressed Raskin, criticizing him for prioritizing political narratives over policies that benefit the American people.

“It is clear that these regulations are not put in place with us in mind, and that needs to stop. And the fact that Mr. Raskin, you’re here this whole time we’ve been here. You’ve just been complaining about the process,” she said.

She urged lawmakers to refocus on the real objective—improving conditions for the American people.

“At some point, what is the end game? Isn’t the end game to make us, the American people, better off? Isn’t it?” Wade asked.

She pushed back against Raskin’s focus on Musk and the legal process surrounding him, emphasizing that lawmakers should be prioritizing economic well-being.

“The goal, is the goal moral and right or not?” Wade asked.

“If you say it is, as I think you should be saying, then the fight shouldn’t be about, we need to take Musk down or Trump down.”

She closed her remarks by reiterating her belief that lawmakers should prioritize business owners and workers rather than partisan political battles.

“Let us rethink that if you want, but keep your eye on the ball, and your ball should be me. It should be me. I’m sorry, it should be me. It should be me,” she said. “How do we make me better off? Thank you, Mr. Jordan.”

This hearing witness just told comrade Jamie Raskin to essentially get over his Trump and Elon Musk derangement. pic.twitter.com/9y719YpxVS

— The Researcher (@listen_2learn) February 11, 2025

Wade’s testimony underscored the ongoing debate in Washington over the role of government regulation in the economy.

While some lawmakers push for more controls and oversight, others argue that excessive regulations stifle innovation and opportunity.

Her remarks served as a pointed challenge to those who prioritize political battles over economic reform.

With her background as both an immigrant and an entrepreneur, Wade’s perspective adds to the broader discussion on how regulatory policies impact businesses and workers in America.

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