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Racist Remark Leads To Spat Between Anthony Weiner, Voter

Anthony Weiner, the former congressman and now New York City mayoral candidate, continues to be embroiled in drama: Throughout the day, a video circled the Internet that showed a fierce confrontation between him and a Jewish voter.

The man, who is wearing a yarmulke, calls him "disgusting" and Weiner, whose sexting scandal forced him from Congress and derailed his mayoral campaign, goes off.

Slate has a transcript of the exchange:

Man: You have a nerve to even walk around in public—

Weiner: Oh yeah, and you're a perfect person?

Man: I'm not perfect, but I didn't do what you did—

Weiner: You're my judge? You're my judge? What rabbi taught you that? What rabbi taught you that you're my judge?

Man: You're fine. You talk to God and work out your problems, but stay out of the public eye. That's the difference.

Weiner: That's up to you to judge, my friend. I don't take my judgments to you and I don't judge you.

Man: You're a bad example for the people.

Weiner: That's your judgment?

Man: No, that's obvious.

What the original video does not show, however, is that the confrontation seems to have been sparked by a racist comment.

Weiner's campaign released full video after the incident that showed the man say, "You're a real scumbag, Anthony." And then he appears to say, "Married to an Arab."

USA Today reports the confrontation happened at a Borough Park bakery, where the Jewish community was preparing for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

According to Politico, Weiner told reports that he doesn't mind "people getting in my grill."

"But when you start saying vile, racist things about my wife, when you start saying things using dirty words, curse words around children, shouting out after someone left. ... I just thought it was inappropriate; he deserved to be put in his place."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.