Conservative commentator Patrice Onwuka ripped Ben Shapiro on Friday after the conservative commentator said that it is a “you problem” if someone has to work more than one job to support themselves.
“There’s dignity in work, whatever that work is,” Onwuka, a senior policy analyst at the right-leaning Independent Women's Forum, told Hill.TV during an appearance on “Rising.”
“We need to be encouraging people — not hammering them,” she added.
Shapiro made the controversial remarks during his radio show on Wednesday.
“Well, the fact is if you had to work more than one job to have a roof over your head or food on the table, you probably shouldn't have taken the job that's not paying you enough. That'd be a you problem,” he said in a widely circulated clip.
Following a flood of criticism on Twitter, Shapiro attempted to clarify his remarks in a series of tweets later that day. He claimed that his comments were in response to Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Harris’s (D-Calif.) assertion that Americans shouldn’t have to work more than one job to pay the bills.
“This is perfectly clear in context; the comment immediately follows a line from Kamala Harris claiming that no one should have to work two jobs,” he tweeted. “And by the way, I have worked multiple jobs for most of my career.”
In response to a question in the first Democratic primary debate over job growth, Harris said, “No one should have to work more than one job to have a roof over their head and food on their table."
Despite record low unemployment, the number of people holding multiple jobs in America has remained steady under the Trump administration.