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Lawmakers rushed Monday to condemn a 鈥渄eeply offensive鈥� and 鈥渞acist鈥� video posted recently by two Republican delegates and rushed to defend the Asian American delegate who was the target of the video.
They were reacting to a 13-minute video podcast in which Dels. Mark N. Fisher (R-Calvert) and Brian Chisholm (R-Anne Arundel) accused Del. Chao Wu (D-Howard and Montgomery), who is a native of China, of being a spy for the Chinese government. Throughout the video, Fisher and Chisholm also make references to how Wu talks.
The video was first flagged Friday by House Speaker Joseline Pe帽a-Melnyk (D-Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel), who wrote Fisher and Chisholm urging them to delete the video and apologize to Wu.
It was followed Monday by statements from the legislature鈥檚 Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus, the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, even the leader of the House Republican Caucus, all of whom said the video was out of line.
鈥淴enophobia and bigotry have no place in the Maryland legislature,鈥� Del. Lily Qi (D-Montgomery), chair of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus, said in a written statement Monday. 鈥淎s a data scientist, Delegate Chao Wu is an asset to our legislative work. One can debate the merit of a bill without resorting to racist name-calling and unfounded accusations.鈥�
The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland condemned 鈥渋n the strongest possible terms the racist, xenophobic, and deeply offensive remarks,鈥� directed at Wu.
鈥淩hetoric that seeks to demean, otherize, or question the legitimacy of an elected official based on race, ethnicity, ancestry, or the way they speak is unacceptable and dangerous,鈥� according to the Monday statement from the Black Caucus. 鈥淪uch conduct debases public discourse, fuels division, and undermines the dignity owed to every Marylander.鈥�
Fisher and Chisholm started their podcast on the 鈥渄umbest bill in America鈥� by naming a bill that was actually introduced by Wu in the 2025 General Assembly.聽, which died in committee without a vote, would have prompted developers of generative artificial intelligence programs to disclose where they obtained the data that was used to train and update the AI system.
Fisher claimed that the bill would have required private companies to disclose 鈥渢rade secrets.鈥� The bill had eight cosponsors whom Fisher and Chisholm do not mention.
They then cite a nine-month old Washington Examiner story that said Wu had been involved 20 years ago, as a college student, with a campus organization that the State Department in Trump鈥檚 first term said had ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Chisholm says it鈥檚 part of the Chinese government鈥檚 plan to 鈥渟end in spies, people like Chao Wu, and try to gain intelligence.鈥�
Throughout the video, Fisher and Chisholm make references to Wu鈥檚 looks and how he speaks. Almost 11 minutes into the video, which was posted April 30 on X, Fisher offered the 鈥渋mportant caveat鈥� that 鈥渂ecause you鈥檙e Asian doesn鈥檛 mean you鈥檙e a Chinese Communist,鈥� but continued to imply that Wu was working for the Chinese government.
Wu said that he had 鈥渘o idea鈥� why the two Republicans decided to make him the center of the video. He rejected their claims.
鈥淭his is the first time I鈥檝e ever been called a Chinese spy,鈥� Wu said. 鈥淯nfortunately, Chinese Americans have always been targeted by xenophobia or just racism.鈥�
Wu was born in Yingshan, Hubei, China and came to Maryland in 2003 for graduate school at University of Maryland, College Park to get a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering. He served on the Howard County School Board from 2018-2022 and began his term with the House of Delegates in 2023.
Neither Fisher nor Chisholm responded to requests for comment Monday.
Both delegates are part of a seven-member group of hard-right Republicans know as the Maryland Freedom Caucus. The caucus did not explicitly defend their statements Monday, instead accusing Pe帽a-Melnyk of聽聽of lawmakers rather than dealing with the state鈥檚 economic problems.
滨苍听, Pe帽a-Melnyk expressed 鈥減rofound disappointment鈥� at the podcast statements that she called 鈥渙ffensive, unacceptable, and beneath the dignity of this institution.鈥�
鈥淩educing a colleague to harmful stereotypes, questioning his loyalty because of where he was born, and mocking the way he speaks is disrespectful and unbecoming of anyone entrusted with public service. It echoes a long and painful history of discrimination that has no place in Maryland or in the House of Delegates,鈥� wrote Pe帽a-Melnyk, herself an immigrant from the Dominican Republic.
鈥淣ational political figures who traffic in racist tropes to sow division and fear have tried to make this kind of rhetoric feel normal. It is not. In Maryland, we will call it out and denounce it at every turn,鈥� her letter said.
House Minority Leader, Del. Jason Buckel (R-Allegany), said he had 鈥渘o reason to believe鈥� that Wu was 鈥渟omehow affiliated with the Chinese government as an American citizen and elected official.鈥�
鈥淭here is no place for discrimination or prejudicial treatment toward Asian Americans based on their ethnicity in our party and that鈥檚 not something our Caucus engages in or promotes in any way,鈥� Buckel said in a statement Monday.
In a follow-up interview Buckel said he doesn鈥檛 believe Chisholm and Fisher are racist, but said that he wouldn鈥檛 blame Wu for feeling 鈥渟ingled out鈥� for being accused of what Buckel called a 鈥渜uite serious offense that shouldn鈥檛 be made light-heartedly.鈥�
