Penn.: GOP state lawmaker ordered to leave House floor over patriotic suit jacket and tie
OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
3:26 PM – Thursday, July 2, 2026
A Republican lawmaker says he was ordered to leave the Pennsylvania state House floor after Democrat leadership disapproved of his patriotic suit, deeming it a “costume.”
State Representative Eric Davanzo (R-Penn.) was reportedly celebrating Independence Day early on Tuesday, wearing a red-and-white striped jacket with a blue, star-spangled tie to the legislature days ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.
However, House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Penn.) argued that Davanzo’s apparel “violated chamber dress rules,” which call for “appropriate business attire.” She ordered him to either remove the jacket or leave the floor.
“We don’t allow costumes on the floor of the House for any holiday,” McClinton said, adding “We are very patriotic. That’s why we have two huge United States of America flags in the back of the House.”
She went on to say that the jacket would be appropriate for his office, committee meetings, press conferences and walking the halls, but not for the floor, “no matter the holiday.”
“This isn’t a costume,” Davanzo shot back. “I wear this back home … I’ll wear this again next week. I love my country.”
“This is just me showing off my patriotism,” he added. “If I wanted to wear an LGBT scarf, nothing said about that. So if we’re going to hold this standard, let’s hold it.”
McClinton has also since argued that Davanzo was not singled out for his patriotism and that other legislators have been asked to remove their large hats and other items on the floor due to dress code violations as well.
“Kicked off the floor for wearing a Patriotic jacket? That’s right, it happened!” the GOP lawmaker remarked on Facebook. “We love America, so I’m happy to put this on. I’m proud to wear this,” he said in a video, promising never to apologize for “putting patriotism before politics.”
Davanzo later emphasized that while his conservative colleagues supported the outfit, House Democrats should have been focusing on the state’s “affordability crisis” rather than “bullsh*t issues like this jacket.”
“This wasn’t a costume. This is something that I truly believe in. I’m a patriot,” he declared.
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