A Republican senator briefly tried to kick a fellow Republican congressman off their shared return flight home from Europe—and the furious text messages that sparked the standoff have now leaked.
The blowup involves Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson, the most senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.
The two men fell out over where to hold next year’s session of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly—essentially an international forum where lawmakers from dozens of countries gather to discuss security and human rights issues. Wilson has spent more than a year trying to bring that gathering to his home state, and Wicker had appeared to be on board, signing a bipartisan letter in March requesting $4 million in federal funding for the event.
Then, on Thursday, Wicker called Wilson to reverse course, saying Charleston could not host after all. His stated reasons were insufficient catering and high staffing costs.
Wilson was not having it. “We’ve been soulmates until Thursday afternoon, and then to be insulted that the arrangements for a catering have not been completed?” he told Semafor. “I’m thinking, ‘Hey, we can prepare shrimp and grits so quick it would make your head swim.’”
Wilson had planned to arrive at the conference in the Netherlands a day later than the rest of the congressional delegation so he could spend July 4 in his district. While he was still in the air, Wicker announced that the U.S. would not host next year’s session, opening the door for Serbia to step in. Wilson fired back on X, posting that “preparations are well underway with widespread support” for a Charleston event despite a “vicious rumor,” and accompanied the post with a photo of himself alongside President Trump.
That’s when Wicker’s texts landed. “The matter is settled and no amount of your saying otherwise will change that,” Wicker wrote, in messages obtained by Semafor. “It is time for you to stop embarrassing yourself and the U.S. delegation.”
He then escalated sharply. “Unless, you immediately stop … You … ARE NO LONGER A PART OF CODEL wicker,” Wicker added—referring to the official congressional delegation traveling together—signing off with his initials. “PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO RETURN TO THE US BY OTHER MEANS.”
Wilson had paid for his wife’s ticket on the return flight himself. Wicker later backed down, texting that he “reverse[d]” his threat to strand Wilson, his staffer, and his wife. But he made clear he remained “disappointed that you are continuing to insist that the US can host in 2027.”
Wicker also claimed in his texts that Wilson had “avoided taking calls from speaker Johnson, who has been trying to tell you to stand down.” Wilson left House Speaker Mike Johnson a voicemail. Johnson texted back that “he was not aware of any of this,” Wilson said, adding that Johnson “was being unjustly, unfairly, and disgustingly blamed for what Roger Wicker is doing.”
Wilson insists the Charleston event is still very much on. Organizers have already reserved a venue and nearby hotels, and sent invitations to OSCE ambassadors. He argued the uncertainty “harms the people of the United States because it clearly is a false message to the people of Europe that America is not reliable.”
As for the cost concerns, Wilson was unimpressed. “There’s no place better for unpaid volunteers than Charleston,” he said, pointing to the availability of students from The Citadel and the College of Charleston. “I was so insulted.”
Reps for Wicker and Wilson have been contacted for comment.
