President ‘delusional’ - Sanders
STATES: Senator Bernie Sanders, Independentvermont., yesterday called President Donald Trump a ‘‘pathological liar,’’ while Senator Al Franken, Democrat-minnesota., reiterated that ‘‘a few’’ Republican senators are concerned about the president’s mental health.
The strong words from two high-profile senators came as Democrats attacked Trump’s travel ban and said that members of his administration should be investigated or have security clearances suspended for recent comments or conversations with Russian officials.
Sanders made the charge on NBC’S Meet the Press as he attacked Trump’s travel ban which faces a federal court challenge - and Republican plans to revamp the Affordable Care Act.
‘‘We have a president who is delusional in many respects, a pathological liar,’’ Sanders said.
‘‘Those are strong words,’’ moderator Chuck Todd interjected while asking Sanders whether he can work with a liar.
‘‘It makes life very difficult. It is very harsh, but I think that’s the truth,’’ Sanders replied. ‘‘When somebody goes before you and says that 3 to 5 million people voted illegally ... nobody believes that. There is not a scintilla of evidence to believe that, what would you call that remark? It’s a lie. It’s a delusion.’’
Sanders said he remained committed to ‘‘working to bring fundamental reform to the Democratic Party, to open the doors of the Democratic Party’’ to younger, economically distressed voters.
Franken first raised questions
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about the president’s mental health on Saturday’s HBO’S Real Time with Bill Maher, saying Republican senators privately express ‘‘great concern’’ about Trump’s temperament.
The senator doubled down yesterday, telling CNN’S State of the Union that ‘‘a few’’ Republican senators feel that way.
‘‘In the way that we all have this suspicion that - you know, that he’s not - he lies a lot, he says things that aren’t true, that’s the same thing as lying, I guess,’’ Franken told moderator Jake Tapper, mentioning the president’s comments about illegal voters and allegations that residents of Massachusetts travelled to New Hampshire to cast votes in the November election.
‘‘You know, that is not the norm, uh, for a president of the United States or, actually, for a human being,’’ Franken said.
Elsewhere, Democratic lawmakers called for investigations into White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway, who last week used a national television interview to encourage viewers to buy items designed by Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter. The comments appeared to violate a key ethics rule barring federal employees from using their public office to endorse products.
Members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee called on the Office of Government Ethics to recommend discipline, given that Trump, who is Conway’s ‘‘agency head,’’ holds an ‘‘inherent conflict of interest’’ because of the involvement of his daughter’s business. - Washington Post