While speaking at a manufacturing plant on Monday in Cincinnati, Ohio, President Donald Trump suggested that congressional Democrats were “treasonous” and “un-American” because they didn’t applaud him during his State of the Union address last week.
“They were like death and un-American. Un-American. Somebody said, ‘treasonous.’ I mean, Yeah, I guess why not?” Trump said. “Can we call that treason? Why not? I mean they certainly didn’t seem to love our country that much.”
President Trump told a Cincinnati crowd that Democrats’ “dead silence” at his State of the Union address was “un-American” and even “treasonous.”
Read more: https://t.co/9g8DDHGXAT pic.twitter.com/51bnzGXMZF
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 6, 2018
The remarks inevitably drew ire, mainly among Democrats. A blistering response came from Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. — an Iraq War veteran — who called Trump “Cadet Bone Spurs” and stood up for her First Amendment rights to stay seated.
We don't live in a dictatorship or a monarchy. I swore an oath—in the military 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 when he demands I clap https://t.co/99gW1yalDl
— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) February 6, 2018
The reference was to Trump’s excuse for avoiding service in Vietnam. Despite claiming to be an excellent athlete, Trump avoided the Vietnam War draft multiple times, citing bone spurs.
The White House defended the president and instead claimed he was just being “tongue in cheek.”
WH spokesperson Hogan Gidley tells NBC News President Trump was being "tongue in cheek" yesterday when he accused Democrats of “treason” for not applauding during parts of his State of the Union address.
— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) February 6, 2018
It seems as if America elected a true jokester as president. You know, like when Trump joked about thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin for expelling U.S. diplomats or like the time he was only joking when he encouraged police officers to rough up suspects taken into custody.
'joking' pic.twitter.com/zjlxAgcON2
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) February 6, 2018
Obviously, not standing for the president’s speech is simply not a treasonous act, otherwise, Republicans would have been found guilty of the same crime long ago, as there’s quite a long history of the opposing party expressing at least some level of disapproval with the president.
Those were points that Rep. Chris Collins — a New York-based Trump supporter — had to field on CNN Tuesday morning. He told Alisyn Camerota that it wasn’t “treasonous,” but rather “embarrassing. But Camerota had a response for Collins, showing him years of examples where Republicans had the exact same reaction for President Barack Obama. Collins also had to painfully address how his party could stay silent, considering it was a Republican, South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., who once infamously yelled, “you lie,” during a 2009 presidential address.
CNN's Alisyn Camerota: Is not clapping for POTUS at the State of the Union "treasonous," as Trump suggested?
"I wouldn't use the word 'treasonous' but boy, was it embarrassing," says GOP Rep. Chris Collins https://t.co/iYgJbkC7Y7 https://t.co/mn1dU2Aeea
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 6, 2018
While Republicans had to play clean-up, many people expressed outrage at the degradation of American values coming from the mouth of the president.
I didn’t serve 24 years in the uniform of this country to be called treasonous for simply disagreeing with your disastrous policies, Mr. President.
— Fmr. Rep. Tim Walz (@RepTimWalz) February 5, 2018
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. https://t.co/NStC7DXqni
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) February 5, 2018
The president accuses the opposition party of being "treasonous" for not applauding him during SOTU. It would be nice, and I suppose at this point surprising, for Republican leaders/those on the right to condemn this corrosive/ugly charge. Their moral/civic reflexes are dying.
— Peter Wehner (@Peter_Wehner) February 5, 2018
Sen. Whitehouse responds to Trump’s remark suggesting some Dems' #SOTU reaction may have been "treasonous": Maybe he’s been watching too much North Korean state television where they all stand up and clap together “whenever the dear leader says something” https://t.co/UC3MEm21QU pic.twitter.com/QLrxdXCQ4v
— CNN (@CNN) February 6, 2018
The president said Democrats who didn’t applaud for him are ‘treasonous’. Once upon a time that would’ve been the scandal of the …. Oh whatever. Nothing matters.
— Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) February 6, 2018
The charge that members of the other party are un-American or treasonous is disgraceful enough that anyone in his own party who doesn’t denounce Trump for this shares in the disgrace.
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) February 5, 2018
Joan Walsh on Trump's remarks suggesting Democrats' #SOTU reaction was "treasonous": Trump has hit a "new low" and "shows again and again that he might be more comfortable being president of Russia, having Vladimir Putin's job, than the job that he has." https://t.co/eGyWxgqu9S pic.twitter.com/nnPpTt9i6b
— CNN (@CNN) February 6, 2018
If it's #treasonous to not applaud #DonaldTrump, it's treason to: laugh at, criticize, investigate or refuse to vote for him. Should we ignore his #Cincinnati speech? No. Take it seriously? Yes. It was a road-test of new ways to troll the media, inflame his base, destroy foes.
— howardfineman (@howardfineman) February 6, 2018
Treasonous: adj., 1. pertaining to the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign's family
2 : the betrayal of a trust— Jake Tapper 🦅 (@jaketapper) February 6, 2018
Every Member of Congress, indeed every American, who cares about our democracy should be profoundly concerned when @realDonaldTrump suggests those who don't agree with him are "treasonous" or "unAmerican." We take an oath to a constitution- not a man.
— Rep. Nydia Velazquez (@NydiaVelazquez) February 6, 2018
Imagine a spectrum, with normal politics at one end and then partisanship, polarization, and finally delegitimization at the other. Calling Democrats in Congress treasonous crosses over into delegitimization and makes needed compromise and governing difficult if not impossible.
— Richard N. Haass (@RichardHaass) February 6, 2018
Yes, Trump is degrading our democratic norms, but Republicans have attempted to undermine our democracy for years.
Trump calling Democrats' refusal to clap for him "treasonous" is no worse than a Republican Congressman shouting "You lie!" at Obama during a national address.
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) February 5, 2018
