Last week during a hearing with the House Armed Services Committee, Democratic Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson attempted to express his concern for the stability of the island of Guam if 8,000 new marines and other naval personnel were to be stationed there.

In his plea to the committee, he characterized Guam as a tiny, fragile U.S. territory and feared it would be susceptible to tipping over caused by overpopulation and other environmental factors.

“My fear that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize,” the Georgia Democrat said, making a tipping motion with his hands.

WATCH MSNBC COVERAGE OF REP. HANK JOHNSON CLARIFYING HIS GUAM ‘CAPSIZE’ COMMENT

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Johnson later clarified his initial statement, calling it a metaphorical reference to a ship capsizing, which he said illustrated his concern about the impact of military buildup on the small tropical island.