Democratic state Sen. Ted Lieu of Torrance called on Fox News host Bob Beckel to resign Saturday after he said on the air Thursday that “Chinamen” are the single biggest threat to national security.

During an episode of the “The Five,” Beckel said: “As usual, we bring them over here and teach a bunch of Chinamen -- Chinese people -- how to do computers and then they go back to China and hack into us.”

“We should all be alarmed by the racist, xenophobic comments by Fox News host Bob Beckel,” Lieu said in a statement Saturday. “His comments have no place in America, and this is at least the second time he has used racial slurs. He must resign immediately.”

Beckel was commenting on a New York Times article that said Chinese hackers broke into the computer networks of a U.S. government agency that houses the personal information of all federal employees.


This is not the first time Beckel has caused a stir with his remarks about race. Last year he said on the show that once after he went swimming, his “eyes blew up” and “it made me look Oriental.”

“I am one of those ‘Chinamen’ with ‘Oriental’ eyes that immigrated to America and majored in computer science. I also served on active duty in the United States Air Force and continue to serve my country in the Reserves,” Lieu said in the statement. “And today, as an American and as a California state senator, I call on Mr. Beckel to resign.”

Lieu is running against gang prosecutor Elan Carr to replace U.S. Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills).

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