Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost said he was punched in the face during a racist assault Friday night while attending a private party connected to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
According to police and Frost’s public statements, a drunken, uninvited man confronted the congressman, shouted racist remarks, and told him President Donald Trump was going to deport him before striking him in the face and fleeing the scene.
“Last night, I was assaulted by a man at Sundance Festival who told me that Trump was going to deport me before he punched me in the face. He was heard screaming racist remarks as he drunkenly ran off,” he wrote on X.
The suspect was later arrested and booked on multiple charges, including assault and aggravated burglary, with potential sentencing enhancements tied to hate crimes.
Frost said he was not seriously injured and thanked venue security and Park City police for responding quickly. Democratic leaders and Sundance Film Festival officials condemned the attack, calling it an act of hate and political violence.
Who Is Maxwell Frost?
Frost, 29, is the youngest member of Congress and the first Generation Z lawmaker ever elected to the US House of Representatives. A Democrat, he has represented Florida’s 10th Congressional District since taking office in 2023.
Born January 17, 1997, Frost began organising politically as a teenager and worked on Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign. He later became the national organising director for March for Our Lives, the gun-violence prevention movement formed after the 2018 Parkland school shooting.
Frost has worked with the American Civil Liberties Union and supported voting-rights efforts in Florida, including the successful campaign to pass Amendment 4. His advocacy has been shaped by personal experience: in 2016, he survived a gun-violence incident at a Halloween event in downtown Orlando.
He has been a critic of GOP leadership since being elected in 2022, most recently calling President Donald Trump a “grifter” during a House Oversight Committee hearing last February. He has also been outspoken against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and has drawn attention for blunt rhetoric during congressional hearings and public appearances.
Since arriving in Washington, Frost has emerged as a vocal progressive critic of Republican leadership, including President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
He has gained attention for blunt rhetoric during congressional hearings and public appearances, particularly on issues such as gun reform, racial justice, and voting rights.
Following the attack, Frost thanked supporters and requested people not to be intimidated.
“We are in scary times,” he wrote. “Please stay safe and do not let these people silence you.”
