WASHINGTON — Republican senators don’t want to talk about President Donald Trump’s tweet. Some say they haven’t read it. Others say they don’t want to know about it. Yet others say they have a policy of not discussing what the president says on Twitter.
That’s perennially true — but perhaps never more so than on Tuesday, when Trump floated an evidence-free conspiracy theory about an elderly Buffalo man captured on camera falling, hitting his head and bleeding after being pushed by a police officer. The man was hospitalized and two officers were charged with assault after the video went viral and drew national outrage.
When asked about the president’s tweet, Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., told reporters Tuesday on Capitol Hill: “I haven’t read the damn thing. I don’t want to hear it.”
Many Republican lawmakers find the president’s comments at times to be indefensible but prefer not to criticize him publicly, fearful that he’ll strike back and damage their reputation with the party’s voters.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is in the midst of a difficult re-election battle, said, “I think it would be best if the president would not comment on issues that are before the courts.”
Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., said most Republicans “would rather not be political commentators on the president’s tweets,” although he noted that Trump’s claim was unsubstantiated.
“It’s a serious accusation which should only be made with facts and evidence,” Thune told reporters. “And I haven’t seen any yet.”
Navy Vet
Article URL : https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/haven-t-read-damn-thing-republican-senators-dodge-questions-about-n1228591