Gardner’s take: U.S. senator says there are more important things to focus on now than Trump’s words. »
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner said Sunday morning that “there are far more important things that we ought to be focusing on” when asked about President Donald Trump’s controversial weekend comments about the NFL.
“You spoke out about the president’s tepid reaction to the violence in Charlottesville,” John Dickerson said to the Colorado Republican on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “The president has now stepped into the middle of a controversy about the NFL. I just wonder what you make of his remarks this week?”
“When it comes to this recent spat with the NFL, look, there are far more important things that we ought to be focusing on … North Korea, Iran, concern about the health care bill,” Gardner replied from his hometown, Yuma.
Trump sent several tweets during the weekend concerning players who kneel during the national anthem before NFL games after making fiery comments on the subject during a Friday night speech in Alabama.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired,’” he said to loud applause.
Again in a Sunday morning tweet, Trump urged his supporters to take action: “If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!”
Trump’s comments drew swift rebukes from across the NFL, from players to coaches and even team owners. The entire Pittsburgh Steelers team — with the exception of one player — stayed in their locker room during the national anthem Sunday morning before their game against the Chicago Bears.
Gardner also talked about the GOP’s so-called Graham-Cassidy health care legislation, which would unwind the Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare — during the television interview. He again did not definitively say whether he supports the measure.
“I think there’s still more information that we’re looking for,” Gardner said. “I think the (non-partisan Congressional Budget Office) will have a role to play in this. I believe there is information that will be coming through a committee hearing on Monday.”
Gardner also brushed off a question about whether Republicans are just trying to get the proposal, brought forth by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, passed to make good on their seven-year promise to repeal Barack Obama’s health law.
It appears the GOP doesn’t have the votes to get the legislation passed. The support of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is a must-have if they want to advance the measure, but she said Sunday morning it would be “very difficult” to imagine a scenario where she would vote vote “yes.”
“This has nothing to do with politics, it has nothing to do with donors,” said Gardner, adding that Graham-Cassidy is about trying to fix the insurance premium increases sparked by Obamacare.
He said: “I think that the people who are opponents of the bill certainly want this to be about politics and not policy. But the bottom line is for the past seven years we have made it a very high priority to put something in place for the American people … that actually works.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.