California Rep. Barbara Lee has been making headlines and sparking discourse across social media as she reacts to being called everything from a thief to a communist. Recently, the Democratic Senate candidate has clashed with Republicans as she has detailed two exclusion incidents and accusations experienced within the halls of Congress.

Lee hit the news cycle Thursday after an interview with CNN’s Kaitlin Collins. During the interview, Lee reacted to Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s controversial comments that the United States has “never been a racist country.” Objecting to Haley’s dismissal of racism in America, Lee discussed systemic racism in the country before recounting a recent experience of personal racism in which a white man denied her entry into an elevator used by members of Congress. Even when she showed the man her pin identifying her as one, the man insultingly asked, “Whose pin did you steal?”

Video and reports of Lee’s story went viral on social media. While many people expressed outrage that a Black woman in Congress would experience this kind of treatment, some conservatives questioned her story, accusing her of lying; the name “Jussie Smollett” began trending as people accused Lee of making up the story despite no evidence that her report was false. However, author Keith Boykin noted in a tweet that Lee’s story is very similar to one told by Republican Sen. Tim Scott, “but Republicans don’t believe Barbara Lee because she acknowledges systemic racism. He doesn’t.”

On Jan. 18, Lee posted that “I was just kicked out of a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on Cuba policy because the Republican Chair didn’t like my views,” posting a video of a heated exchange between herself and Chairwoman Maria Salazar from Florida.

According to NBC News, Lee and Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz were invited by a fellow Democrat to the committee meeting, a common courtesy often extended to members of Congress. However, Salazar stated that while Wasserman Schultz was “more than welcome, Barbara Lee is not.” When asked why, NBC reported Salazar responded, “Because Barbara Lee, who is a member of the Democratic Party is friends with the oppressors and not the Cuban people. Barbara has been friends of Fidel Castro.” Salazar later took to social media to accuse Lee of attempting “to spread communist propaganda.” California Democratic Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove objected to Salazar’s actions at the hearing, saying that Lee “is a Black woman who was just silenced, denied her rightful voice.”

As Lee continues her Senate campaign, she will remain one of the most high-profile Black women in Congress. She continues to be vocal about her domestic and international positions and her personal experiences of being accused and excluded. She will likely pop up again in the news cycle and online discourse.

Rep. Barbara Lee