Chuck Schumer Torches Republicans Over Donald Trump’s ‘Disgraceful’ Debate Performance
In a passionate Senate floor speech Wednesday afternoon, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) scolded his Republican colleagues for brushing off President Donald Trump’s erratic, manic performance during Tuesday night’s debate with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Trump’s bombastic behavior included frequentIy interrupting Biden, arguing with moderator Chris Wallace, repeatedly lying, lobbing personal attacks at Biden and his family, blubbering incoherently about “rigged” elections, and refusing to condemn white supremacy.
The spectacle has been widely characterized by viewers, pundits, and politicians on both sides of the aisle as a disgrace to the office of the presidency. CNN’s Dana Bash, for example, said it was a “shitshow,” and Jake Tapper described it as a “hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck.” Bob Woodward said that Trump was “assassinating the presidency” itself.
Schumer’s review was no more flattering. He excoriated GOP lawmakers for their willingness to let Trump get away with such madness, according to reporting by The Hill.
“Last night President Trump delivered one of the most disgraceful performances at a presidential debate that anyone has ever seen. … Shakespeare summed up in ‘Macbeth,’ Trump’s performance last night – a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” Schumer said.
“I just want to ask my Republican colleagues, how are you not embarrassed that President Trump represents your party?” Schumer asked. “How can you possibly, possibly support anyone who behaves this way? Are you watching the same person we are?”
Members of the GOP should be “deeply, utterly, personally embarrassed that Donald Trump is a Republican,” Schumer added.
“In an hour and a half that felt like a lifetime, the president managed to insult Vice President Biden’s deceased son and smear a living one, please a fringe white supremacist group and capped the night off yet again casting doubt on our own elections,” Schumer said.
Later, at a news conference, Schumer suggested that at the next debate in Utah on October 15, the moderator should have a way to cut Trump off.
“Maybe we should give the moderator a mute button, given how President Trump just interrupts at will,” Schumer said, per Fox News. “And the bottom line is Donald Trump doesn’t follow the rules [and] the commission has got to get a lot tougher.”
Schumer added that it would probably be best if the next debate simply does not happen at all.
“Unless he’s trying to lose,” the Minority Leader said, “I don’t think Donald Trump should want to debate Joe Biden again.”