Lawmakers say Trump went too far when he called Democrats ‘treasonous’
From wire services
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s call in theState of the Union address last week for a new era of bipartisan cooperation seems likea distant memory.
Now, he’s calling Democrats “un-American” and perhaps “treasonous” for not clapping during that address — part of a larger trend of recent insults and slights as the president turns his ire on the opposition party for failing to goalong with his plans.
His treason quip Monday triggered an uproar among Democrats. The White House quickly responded that the president was joking, although Mr. Trump hasn’t said— or tweeted — as much.
Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a double amputee veteran of the Iraq War, tweeted her umbrage, working in a reminder that Mr. Trump had deferments during the VietnamWar for bone spurs.
“We don’t live in a dictatorship or a monarchy,” she wrote. “I swore an oath — in themilitary and in the Senate — to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, not to mindlessly cater to the whims of Cadet Bone Spurs and clap whenhe demands I clap.”
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted that, “Every American should be alarmed by how @realDonaldTrump is working to make loyalty to him synonymous withloyalty to our country.”
Some Republicans, too, said Mr. Trump had gone too far.
“You don’t have to always agree with those on the other side of the aisle, but all members of Congress love their country, and none are treasonous,” wrote Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, who also took to the Senate floor Tuesday to blast the president’s comments.
White House spokesman Hogan Gidley insisted the president had made the commentin jest.
“It was tongue in cheek. The president was obviously joking. But what’s serious is it seems as though the Democrats put their personal hatred for this president over their desires to see this countrysucceed,” he said.
Mr. Flake said he didn’t buy it: “I have seen the president’s most ardent defenders use the now-weary argument that the president’s comments were meant as a joke, just sarcasm, only tongue in cheek. But treason is not a punchline, Mr. President,” hesaid.
Mr. Trump made his treason remark during an appearance at an Ohio manufacturing plant, where he described Democrats as refusing to applaud even positive news during his State of the Union address, and said they’d prefer to see him do badly than the country do well.
“Can we call that treason? Why not?” he asked, lobbing an extraordinary accusation. “They certainly didn’t seem to love our country very much,”Mr. Trump added.
Mr. Trump’s vision of soldiers marching and tanks rolling down the boulevards of Washington is moving