A longtime Muriel Bowser loyalist privately insulted Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White for declining to endorse his—and the mayor’s—preferred candidate in this year’s most competitive D.C. Council race. The Washington Post first reported on the text exchange between Joshua Lopez, a former Bowser appointee, and White. Washington City Paper later expanded on that reporting with a direct transcript of the exchange.

Lopez strongly supports Ward 8 business owner Dionne Reeder in her attempt to unseat independent At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman. The mayor, in an unusual move, has also actively supported Reeder, saying that Silverman is not a collaborative councilmember (both Reeder and Bowser have voiced opposition to Silverman’s signature paid family leave legislation, and many suspect this issue is driving Reeder’s backing from the business community in D.C.).

In the text exchange, as published by the City Paper, Lopez excoriates White for not actively supporting Reeder in the race. White’s support would likely be helpful in drawing Ward 8 voters out for Reeder.

Lopez: Slim you going to tell your constituents to vote or nah

White: Fuck is you talking about

Lopez: Are you going to tell your folks to vote or keep acting like a bitch and stay silent

White: Trayon White ain’t never been no bitch … where you going to be at 1:30 p?

White and Silverman have generally been allies on the dais, with Silverman often lending her support to White’s legislation. Earlier this year, White put himself in hot water after propagating anti-Semitic conspiracy theories in a video posted to Facebook. White publicly apologized and took steps to make up for his comments, and Silverman supported him. Reeder and White are also friends.

“I love CM White, we are friends, and I know and understand his position,” Reeder wrote in a comment to the City Paper. “I have never asked anyone to talk to him on my behalf. I have known him for over 10 years.”

Lopez has supported Bowser since the beginning of her political career in D.C. The mayor appointed him to the board of directors of the D.C. Housing Authority, where he lasted just a few months before being forced to resign, again in drama surrounding White and Silverman.

Lopez had organized a rally in support of White when he was facing backlash for his anti-Semitic comments, and held a megaphone while a member of the Nation of Islam, Abdul Khadir Muhammad, called Silverman a “fake Jew.” Muhammad also reportedly later called Jewish people “termites.” After the incident, Silverman was among several councilmembers who pushed Bowser to fire Lopez, or at least force him to resign. Lopez claimed he hadn’t invited Muhammad and didn’t condone what he said at the rally, and he initially refused to resign.

But councilmembers pushed back on him and on the mayor, saying generally negative things about Lopez during a charged council discussion about the incident. From WAMU’s report on that council meeting:

“When you say we all know what Josh Lopez is, what is he?” asked Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5).

“He’s divisive. He’s full of hatred,” responded Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large).

“He’s a hatchet man,” said Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3).

“He is irresponsible. He is immature,” said Councilmember Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7).

Lopez has been zealous in his support for Reeder. He (and the mayor) showed up to an at-large debate in early October where he accused Silverman of “stoking racial animosity to benefit her politically.”

Bowser’s campaign released a statement saying that “no one approves of name calling,” according to the City Paper.

Political observers have had a mixed response to media reporting on the texts. Some argued it was a private exchange in a mutually understood vernacular with no real animosity, including Mark Lee, a Washington Blade columnist who has advocated on behalf of Reeder.

https://twitter.com/MarkLeeDC/status/1058910918652895232

Others contend that the exchange sounded heated, including one of the authors of the City Paper story.

https://twitter.com/tomsherwood/status/1059085120832004096

Both the Post and the City Paper reported on a Facebook video from White’s friend Jauhar Abraham, where he insults Lopez for the comment.

“Josh Lopez, don’t call nobody’s phone around here,” he says in the video. “If you wanna say something to somebody and especially if you wanna use derogatory language … pull up on MLK [Avenue] and use the word bitch when you’re referring to one of us. I beg you to do that.”