Not since the dog days of the 2016 campaign has the Republican Party’s schism with Donald Trump been this open and this public. Following the controversy over President Trump’s remarks on Charlottesville, GOP politicians have either been conspicuous in their silence, critical of white supremacy, or implicitly taking sides against the president. Those who fall into the latter category have attracted the ire of the president.
In tweets Thursday, Trump hammered both Lindsey Graham and Jeff Flake, two Republican senators who have not been quiet about their opinions in the wake of the Charlottesville frenzy.
“Publicity seeking Lindsey Graham falsely stated that I said there is moral equivalency between the KKK, neo-Nazis & white supremacists … and people like Ms. Heyer. Such a disgusting lie. He just can’t forget his election trouncing. The people of South Carolina will remember!” Trump tweeted.
Graham, who has never been shy about criticizing President Trump, was among the most outspoken Republicans to question his response to the violence. “Through his statements yesterday,” Graham said Wednesday, “President Trump took a step backward by again suggesting there is moral equivalency between the white supremacist neo-Nazis and KKK members who attended the Charlottesville rally and people like Ms. Heyer. I, along with many others, do not endorse this moral equivalency.”
Trump also took aim at Flake, who said Wednesday: “We can’t claim to be the party of Lincoln if we equivocate in condemning white supremacy.”
On Thursday, Trump wrote, “Great to see that Dr. Kelli Ward is running against Flake Jeff Flake, who is WEAK on borders, crime and a non-factor in Senate. He’s toxic!”
In addition to bashing two of his Republican colleagues, Trump also tweeted against the mainstream media.
“The public is learning (even more so) how dishonest the Fake News is,” he wrote. “They totally misrepresent what I say about hate, bigotry etc. Shame!”
As much as we agree with that sentiment, there’s no question that this has been one of the worst week’s of Trump’s presidency. Fair or not, the media has successfully built a narrative that many – even on the conservative side – are buying into. It has cost Trump the support of many leaders in the business world, put him at odds with Congress at a moment when the entire GOP needs to be focused on tax reform, and has given Democrats some unfortunate momentum. The president has bounced back from adversity before, and we’re confident he can do so again, but we’re looking forward to putting this week as far in the rearview mirror as possible.
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