Lawmakers blast president for jibe

– Some US Republican lawmakers joined their Democratic colleagues on Tuesday in criticising President Donald Trump for labelling them as “treasonous” and “un-American” in response to the cold reception they gave him during his State of the Union address last week.

“Well, that borders on divisive,” the second-most powerful Democrat in the Senate Dick Durbin told reporters in a purposefully understated tone.

Speaking at a manufacturing plant in Ohio on Monday, the Republican president said Democrats “would rather see Trump do badly than our country do well”.

“They were like death and un-American,” he said of Democrats who sat stone-faced, robed in black in solidarity with victims of sexual misconduct, as he heralded the economy’s achievements in his address a week ago to a joint session of Congress.

“Somebody said ‘treasonous’. I mean, eh. I guess, why not? Can we call that treason, why not?” Trump said.

The remarks sparked a storm of criticism from Democrats on Capitol Hill. Senator Tammy Duckworth quoted president Theodore Roosevelt in a response on Twitter: “To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”

White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley said the remarks on treason – an offence punishable by death – were offered as tonguein-cheek.

“The president was obviously joking. But what’s serious is the Democrats seem to put their personal hatred for this president above their desire to see America succeed,” he said.