(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., has earned the title of the “worst-smelling” man in Congress, according to blunt remarks from his colleagues in the House of Representatives.
Several of Nadler’s current and former colleagues, both Republicans and Democrats, did not mince words when describing the New York Democrat’s fragrance, the Washington Free Beacon reported on Sunday.
Nadler, who stands at 5-foot-4 and underwent weight-loss surgery in 2022, has been the subject of ongoing criticism and mockery. For instance, President Donald Trump once dubbed him “Fat Jerry.”
Former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., said that Nadler “barrels through everyone” when making his way through the House floor. However, sometimes, he “doesn’t really need to barrel through because his stench kind of clears the way and it equates to his personality, which is nasty and most people want to keep away from.”
A fellow House Democrat added, “Members of Congress don’t want to sit next to him because of it. Yeah, he smells. I don’t know what he does. Maybe he doesn’t take a bath, I don’t know what it is.”
A New York congressman echoed these remarks, declaring that Nadler “reeks” before adding: “It’s not just like a guy who didn’t take a shower. I don’t know if it’s surgery or a colostomy bag, but it’s bad.”
At one point, during a 2023 bipartisan briefing led by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, this lawmaker had to move seats after sitting near Nadler.
“I sat in the Capitol visitor center theater and Nadler sat in front of me and I had to get up and move. It’s overpowering,” the source recalled. A former GOP member of Congress suggested that Nadler’s smell might be related to a medical issue, possibly “bedsores.”
McCarthy himself joked about Nadler’s smell during a 2022 interview on Fox News’s Gutfeld.
“Congressman, I don’t know how to ask this in a respectable manner, but do off-smelling people offend you?” host Greg Gutfeld asked.
“Are we talking about Jerry Nadler?” McCarthy quipped, drawing laughter from the audience, the Free Beacon noted.
Nadler has served in public office since 1977 when he was elected to the New York State Assembly. He was subsequently elected to the U.S. Congress in 1992, representing a large part of Manhattan. He most recently won re-election in 2024 with more than 80 percent of the vote.
Nadler’s press secretary did not respond to Headline USA’s questions about whether these claims are health-related or impact his work.
