Rich McCormick says interns can date Democrats, but not bosses
Rep. Rich McCormick told TMZ DC his interns may date across the aisle, though office power dynamics are off-limits.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Rep. Rich McCormick interns dating talk took a turn for the very Washington when the Georgia Republican told TMZ DC that his office’s young staffers are free to date Democrats, as long as they do not climb the office chain of command.
McCormick made the comments after Charlie Cotton of TMZ DC caught up with him following a photo shoot with his interns and staffers, according to the outlet’s video segment. What started as office banter became a quick tour through Capitol Hill dating etiquette.
The congressman described himself to TMZ DC as the “greatest” boss and portrayed his office as a close-knit group. He said the team jokes around, has Nerf gun battles and even has reading assignments, according to the segment.
Then came the dating question: could his interns date people from the other party?
McCormick said they could pursue Democrats if they wanted to, TMZ DC reported. He also acknowledged that political disagreements could create friction in those relationships.
Can Rich McCormick’s interns date Democrats?
According to McCormick’s comments to TMZ DC, yes. He said his interns are allowed to date across party lines, though he suggested ideological differences might make those romances harder.
The line he drew was inside the workplace. McCormick said interns should not date people above them in the office hierarchy, according to the video.
He first explained that rule using military-style language, TMZ DC reported, then translated it into a more congressional version. The point was straightforward: dating someone from another party is one thing, dating upward in the same office is another.
The exchange came during a TMZ DC segment focused on a lighter side of Washington, where lawmakers are asked about culture, dating and office life as much as policy. In this case, McCormick’s answer put a bipartisan spin on intern romance while keeping a workplace boundary in place.
The outlet also tied the moment to a broader conversation about dating in Washington, featuring Jacob Wasserman and Charlie Cotton discussing D.C. dating in a separate TMZ DC video.
McCormick represents Georgia as a Republican in the U.S. House. His comments, as reported by TMZ DC, were framed around his own office and interns, rather than a formal Capitol Hill-wide rule.
For anyone hoping for a grand congressional dating doctrine, the takeaway was less dramatic: cross-party romance gets a shrug from McCormick, but office rank still matters.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.