Senate room sex tape: Everything you should know (and all the bits you wish you didn't)
Washington DC - Two government workers filmed themselves having sex in a Senate hearing room, and the world doesn't quite know how to feel about it.
Unless you live under a rock or are fortunate enough not to have an X account, you've probably heard about the infamous clip, which has sent the internet into a frenzy.
Well, the rumors are somewhat true: an aide and another person believed to also be a staffer filmed themselves having gay sex in a Capitol Hill hearing room.
But a lot of misinformation has been floating around social media, where users have been adamantly discussing the situation, sharing hilarious memes, and trying to come to terms with what exactly this means to US politics.
Even worse, some outspoken critics are using the incident to push their own agenda by clutching their pearls and pointing their finger at whoever they think should be blamed.
So what exactly happened, why did it happen, and what will come of it? TAG24 has you covered, as we watched the entire uncensored video and sifted through the weeds so that you wouldn't have to.
Who did the act, where did they do it, and what happened to them?
Everything started last Friday when the Daily Caller first published the clip, which quickly went viral as internet sleuths tried to figure out the identity of the two men in the footage.
It was confirmed that day that the man being penetrated was Aidan Maese-Czeropski, an aide for Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, and he was immediately fired from his position.
It was also revealed that the two men were getting it on in the seat of Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
In a now-deleted social media post, Maese-Czeropski didn't appear apologetic for his actions, instead arguing that he is a victim being "attacked for who I love to pursue a political agenda."
"While some of my actions in the past have shown poor judgment, I love my job and would never disrespect my workplace," he wrote. "Any attempts to characterize my actions otherwise are fabricated, and I will be exploring what legal options are available to me in these matters."
To date, the other person in the video has yet to be identified, but Capitol Police are currently conducting an ongoing investigation which may bring charges against those involved in the near future.
Senator Ben Cardin breaks his silence on the sex tape
Senator Ben Cardin spoke with reporters on Monday, sharing how he was "terribly angered" and "disappointed" by the situation and that his office is cooperating with law enforcement as they investigate.
"When I learned about it, [I] made sure that [Maese-Czeropski] was separated," he added.
"So he left the Senate employment, and the appropriate steps were taken from the point of view of our office."
Far-right provocateur Laura Loomer has also been following Cardin around Capitol Hill in an attempt to exploit the incident, as many on the right believe there is way more to the story than just two lovers knocking boots in strange places.
Right-wing Republicans stir conspiracy theories about Senate sex tape
Loomer, who is now posing the idea that Senator Cardin is a "closeted homosexual" because of what happened, isn't the only person losing her mind over the sex tape, as the far-right has gone to wild lengths to make sure this is a lasting scandal.
Predictably, Fox News hosts have been vocal in their disgust over the incident, even going as far as to pin it on Democrats and their evil liberal agenda and comparing it to a specific incident in recent history that resulted in several deaths.
"They've been telling us — the Democrats — that they need to keep the government out of the bedroom. Well, they just turned the government into the bedroom!" said host Jesse Watters on a recent episode of The Five.
"And to me," he added, "this is worse than Jan. 6 - so much worse - because they say they defiled the Congress [on Jan. 6]. What is this!?"
The incident also appeared to have jump-started disgraced former Congressman George Santos' new career as a comedian after he joked about the "organized and well-planned SexErection" on social media.
"Our nation will take many years to recover while we open an investigation to get to the 'bottom' of these events leading up to the SexErection," he shared.
Capitol Police will continue investigating the incident, which may bring charges and new details in the near future.
Cover photo: IMAGO / Pond5 Images