Photo Illustration by Erin O’Flynn/The Daily Beast/Williams County Correctional Center
Republican North Dakota representative Nico Rios, a lawmaker based in the city of Williston, was filmed going off on a homophobic and racist rant while being arrested last week for driving under the influence, The Bismark Tribune reported. According to police body cam footage, Rios, who was charged with a DUI and for refusing to provide a chemical test, directed much of his ire towards English-born American officer Alexander Welch. “Your country is being overtaken by fucking migrants and refugees, right,” Rios said to Welch, referring to England. “You’re arresting me for driving home. But people come into your country and rape your women,” Rios raved. “And I’m the fucking bad guy? I’m going to fight for the people of England more than you ever would, you little bitch.” According to the footage, Rios called another officer a homophobic slur and said the following when he found out he was found out he was going to jail: “You guys are going to regret picking on me because you don’t know who fuck I am.” “This past weekend, I had a few too many drinks at a Christmas party, made the mistake of driving home, and received a DUI,” Rios wrote in a post on X on December 18th. “I’m deeply embarrassed as this is not how I want to represent the people.” Adam Goldwyn, North Dakota’s Democrat-NPL Party chair, implied in a statement that Rios should step down: “It used to be that when public servants disgraced themselves, they resigned rather than bring shame upon those they represent... It seems the Republican Party no longer has a sense of shame.”
