Idaho Senator Reportedly Tells Native American Candidate To ‘Go Back Where You Came From’ During A Public Forum
Trish Carter-Goodheart's tribe has lived in Idaho for more than 12,000 years. Senator Dan Foreman grew up in Illinois.
Trish Carter-Goodheart Facebook | Idaho Legislature Republican Idaho state Senator Dan Foreman is under fire after reportedly hurling racist invective at Idaho House candidate, Democrat Trish Carter-Goodheart, during a public candidate forum in the state's Latah County.
The event was intended to be a bipartisan town hall-style event where voters in Idaho's sixth district could get to know the candidates running for an open state Senate and two state House of Representatives seats. Instead, Carter-Goodheart and other attendees say it took a shockingly ignorant turn of the type for which Foreman has developed a years-long reputation.
Trish Carter-Goodheart, a Native American, says Idaho Senator Dan Foreman told her to 'go back where you came from.'
One of the things that is often so confounding about America's current wave of virulent racism and xenophobia is how absurdly ignorant much of the rhetoric tends to be, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better example than what Carter-Goodheart says happened at an October 1 "meet your candidates" forum held in Idaho's sixth district.
Carter-Goodheart is a member of the Nez Perce tribe, which along with other indigenous peoples has lived in the Columbia River Basin area of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho for at least 12,000 years. Foreman, on the other hand, is from Lake Forest, Illinois, an opulent suburb of Chicago.
Nevertheless, when Foreman became angered by Carter-Goodheart's comments during the candidate forum, she says he erupted in anger by telling her to "go back where you came from," the latest in a well-known history of angry outbursts from Foreman.
Foreman's comments came after Carter-Goodheart addressed Idaho's notorious history of far-right white nationalism.
The incident has been corroborated not only by social media users who say they were in attendance but by Carter-Goodheart's own Republican opponent, State Representative Lori McCann, who also took part in the forum. She told Boise's KTVB the incident happened "exactly as [Carter-Goodheart] described."
The conflict arose after the candidates in attendance were asked questions about race and discrimination in Idaho. Carter-Goodheart wrote in a statement that when the discussion turned to a proposed discrimination bill in the state, one candidate, since identified as Republican state Representative Brandon Mitchell, claimed that "discrimination doesn’t exist in Idaho."
That is of course patently absurd — the state has several ongoing legal cases, including at the federal level, for civil rights violations as we speak, and has been a hotbed of right-wing anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and legislative attacks on transgender children, for just a couple recent examples.
"I calmly pointed out that just because someone hasn’t personally experienced discrimination doesn’t mean it’s not happening," Carter-Goodheart wrote in her statement, before explaining that she went on to mention Idaho's long and notorious history of far-right, white nationalist activity.
For decades the state was the well-known headquarters for white supremacist, anti-semitic group Aryan Nations, deemed a terrorist group by the federal government. More recently, it has become known as a haven for neo-Nazi groups like Patriot Front, as well as Christian nationalists like those actively attempting to take over the liberal college town of Moscow, Idaho, the seat of the very county where this candidates' forum took place.
But Carter-Goodheart says she didn't even get to finish her sentence acknowledging this well-known Idaho history before Foreman "lost all control," and "shot up out of his seat," yelling, "'I’m so sick and tired of this liberal [expletive]!" He then told her, "'why don’t you go back to where you came from?!'"
Foreman has a history of angry, profane outbursts at both candidates and constituents.
Many constituents in Idaho were disgusted by the outburst Carter-Goodheart reported. But tellingly, while there is plenty of anger, there doesn't seem to be much shock or surprise. As one Idahoan put it in a comment on an Instagram post by Carter-Goodheart, "sadly, it's not surprising. Irrational anger seems to be his default setting. I've only met him once, and he yelled at me, too."
It is definitely a reputation that precedes him. Foreman has had several public altercations with constituents, including one in which he excoriated University of Idaho students advocating for reproductive rights, and another viral incident in which he called a constituent a "liberal nuttard" at a county fair.
What's perhaps most striking about this most recent incident, however, is how… well, stupid it is. Aside from the fact that Foreman himself is not even from Idaho in the first place, telling an indigenous woman — let alone one whose own tribe name is derived from the French phrase "nez percé," or "pierced nose," the name given them by French colonizers who invaded their land in the 1700s — would be comically dumb if it weren't also so virulently bigoted.
In any case, it does not seem to have landed with those in attendance. Carter-Goodheart told Boise's KTVB that while there were plenty of jeers, nobody in the crowd vocally took Foreman's side.
And while the outcome of the election of course remains to be seen, there's reason to believe Idahoans may be planning to send him packing in November. Democratic opponent Julia Parker, has out-fundraised Foreman 3-to-1 overall — and has received more than six times the donations from voters.
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.