
A man was taken into custody Friday night during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, after allegedly assaulting a Florida congressman at a private event.
Democratic U.S. Representative Maxwell Frost disclosed on X on Saturday that he was punched in the face by a man who told him that President Donald Trump was going to deport him. The confrontation happened at an exclusive party hosted by talent agency CAA at the High West Distillery, a popular venue for festival-related gatherings.
“He was heard yelling racist comments as he drunkenly ran away,” Frost wrote. “The individual was arrested and I am okay.”
Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress, expressed gratitude to venue security and the Park City Police Department for their swift response. A spokesperson for the police said officers arrived at the scene shortly after midnight.
Court records identified the suspect as Christian Joel Young, 28, who was arrested on charges of aggravated burglary, assaulting an elected official and assault. He was transported to the Summit County Jail.
Young is also accused of grabbing a woman by the shoulder. Police said he appeared to have crashed the party by jumping a fence and was carrying a Sundance Film Festival pass that was not issued in his name, according to an affidavit.
Representatives of the Sundance Film Festival released a statement condemning the attack, noting that although the incident occurred at a non-affiliated event, such behavior is “against our values of upholding a welcoming and inspiring environment for all our attendees.”
“The safety and security of our festival attendees is always our chief concern, and our thoughts are with Congressman Frost and his continued well-being,” the statement read. “We encourage anyone with additional information on this matter to contact the Park City Police Department.”