Barbara Lee claims White man at Capitol tried to block her from entering elevator, accused her of theft

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., claimed on Thursday that a racist White man at the Capitol once attempted to prevent her from entering the members' elevator and accused her of stealing her membership pin.

Lee, who is running for the U.S. Senate in California, was asked on CNN about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley's assertion that the United States has "never been a racist country."

Lee rebuked Haley and said racism was embedded in the "DNA" of America. She then suggested that "personal racism" is also a problem that Haley doesn't understand, offering up a story to support her point.

While she did not specify a date or time, Lee alleged she was walking from the House Office Building to the Capitol Building when she was stopped by a White man, who told her she could not enter the members' elevator.

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Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., told a story of "personal racism" to Kaitlan Collins on CNN.  (CNN/Screenshot)

"He blocked me from getting into the elevator and told me I was not a member of Congress and it was for members only. I said, 'Sir, I'm a member of Congress,' and I showed him my pin," she said.

Lee alleged the man then asked whose pin she had stolen. 

"This is an example of what personal racism is and how people of color constantly have to deal with this each and every day," she told CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, who appeared surprised by the story. "But systemic racism is in the policies of this country and just look at what they're trying to do in terms of eliminating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. They're trying to not allow for an equal and level playing field."

She also said that Haley was "clueless" about U.S. racism and her position was "dangerous." 

Lee and Capitol Hill police and security did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment. 

Lee has served in the House of Representatives since 1998, making her one of the longest-tenured members in Congress. She is currently competing with fellow California Democrats Adam Schiff and Katie Porter for the seat once held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. 

Current Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., was appointed to the seat after Feinstein's death last year but is not running in 2024.

Haley has faced substantial backlash for her comment on racism in America. 

"We're not a racist country, Brian. We've never been a racist country," Haley told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade on Tuesday. "Our goal is to make sure that today is better than yesterday. Are we perfect? No. But our goal is to always make sure we try and be more perfect every day that we can."

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Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., attends the Congressional Black Caucus's National Summit on Democracy & Race near Capitol Hill on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.  ((Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images))

She later clarified her comments in a statement to CNN, stating that the U.S. "has always had racism" but that America "has never been a racist country."

Vice President Kamala Harris was asked about Haley's claim on ABC's "The View" and said it was "unfortunate" that some people would "deny fact, or overlook it."

"I think we all would agree that while it is part of our past, and that we see vestiges of it today, we should also be committed collectively to not letting it define the future of our country," Harris said. 

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Fox News' Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.