Sen. Jim Banks defended comments he made towards a fired U.S. Health and Human Resources worker, saying they “deserved it” in a video captured Tuesday, April 1. Photo from Mack Schroeder.

News Release

WASHINGTON — Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., has refused to apologize after a viral video showed him telling a fired federal employee they “probably deserved it.” Banks doubled down on his comments in a video posted on social media Wednesday, April 2, reaffirming his stance and referring to the ex-federal worker as a “clown.”

Banks’ comments were directed at Mack Schroeder, a former employee of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who reportedly worked on programs supporting older Americans and individuals with disabilities.

In his video response, Banks accused Democrats and the “left-wing media” of overreacting.

“A clown is a clown who’s chasing senators through the halls with a cell phone complaining about losing a left-wing, woke job in the federal government that should have never been a job to begin with,” Banks said.

The viral exchange, captured on a cell phone, circulated widely online Tuesday afternoon, garnering millions of views.

The 26-second clip shows Banks walking through a Senate building corridor, accompanied by staffers, as Schroeder approaches him. Schroeder, who identifies himself as a former HHS worker, claims he was fired “illegally” and asks Banks if he plans to intervene.

“You probably deserved it,” Banks responds.

When Schroeder presses for clarification, Banks repeats his remark and adds, “Because you seem like a clown.” The video ends as the elevator doors close.

The video has drawn widespread attention from both supporters and critics. Political commentator Dinesh D’Souza, former NFL player Antonio Brown and advocacy group People for the American Way shared the footage, sparking mixed reactions.

“LMAO! Who knew Senator Jim Banks was so funny?” wrote one social media user, while another criticized the senator’s remarks, calling them “egregious.”

Banks has since used the incident to reinforce his stance on government downsizing. In multiple posts on X, he defended his remarks, stating, “No one is entitled to a taxpayer-funded job, especially in positions that waste those funds.”

Schroeder, who was hired at HHS in October 2024 as a budget analyst, said his work focused on legislation supporting individuals with disabilities and older adults. He stated that he and other terminated federal workers have been meeting with lawmakers in an effort to reverse job cuts.

“Just to hear, when I was saying that I work on programs for people with disabilities and the only response he had was, ‘You seem like a clown,’ really surprised me,” Schroeder said. “I would hope that he would care more about his constituents.”

Schroeder is among thousands of federal employees laid off as part of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, an initiative launched by the second Trump administration to reduce federal spending. Led by X owner Elon Musk, DOGE has targeted positions across multiple agencies, including HHS, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Defense Department, the Department of Education and the IRS.

Thousands of HHS employees have received layoff notices as part of a sweeping government overhaul. The job cuts affect researchers, scientists, doctors and support staff, among others, as the administration seeks to downsize federal agencies.

Banks has remained steadfast in his support for the initiative. “I support President Trump and the DOGE effort 100%: to cut wasteful spending and woke jobs out of the federal government. And we’re just getting started,” he said Wednesday, April 2.