Journalist Carl Bernstein is reminding us all that he owes Senate Republicans nothing, least of all protection as they cower in public and let President Donald Trump make a mockery of our democracy. Bernstein tweeted Sunday: “I'm not violating any pledge of journalistic confidentially in reporting this: 21 Republican Sens–in convos w/ colleagues, staff members, lobbyists, W. House aides–have repeatedly expressed extreme contempt for Trump & his fitness to be POTUS.”
They represent almost 40% of the 53 Senate Republicans. “With few exceptions, their craven public silence has helped enable Trump’s most grievous conduct—including undermining and discrediting the US the electoral system,” Bernstein tweeted.
He listed senators:
- Rob Portman, of Ohio;
- Lamar Alexander, of Tennessee;
- Ben Sasse, of Nebraska;
- Roy Blunt, of Missouri;
- Susan Collins, of Maine;
- Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska;
- John Cornyn, of Texas;
- John Thune, of South Dakota;
- Mitt Romney, of Utah;
- Mike Braun, of Indiana;
- Todd Young, of Indiana;
- Tim Scott, of South Carolina;
- Rick Scott, of Florida;
- Marco Rubio, of Florida;
- Chuck Grassley, of Iowa;
- Richard Burr, of North Carolina;
- Pat Toomey, of Pennsylvania;
- Martha McSally, of Arizona;
- Jerry Moran, of Kansas;
- Pat Roberts, of Kansas; and
- Richard Shelby of Alabama
Rubio's inclusion on the list comes as no surprise. He called Trump "a con artist" about to take over the Republican party in 2016. And much opportunistic flip-flopping aside, the Florida senator has ceased many opportunities since then to criticize the Trump administration. Bernstein, however, told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota it wasn’t just Rubio, that most of those he listed were “happy to see Donald Trump defeated in this election” as long as Senate Republicans remained in control.
“We are witnessing the mad king in the final days of his reign willing to scorch the earth of his country and bring down the whole system,” Bernstein said, “to undermine our whole democracy, strip it of its legitimacy, poison the confidence of our people in our institutions and the constitution for Donald Trump's own petulant, selfish, rabid ends."
"We have a President of the United States for the first time in our history sabotaging this country. That’s where we are."
The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist said Republicans know what Trump has done “to undermine confidence in our institution.” They are living through a pandemic, witnessing Trump’s “homicidal negligence” that is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans,” he said. “McConnell knows what’s going on,” Bernstein said. “And finally I’m told in the last 24/48 hours, I believe he and some others are attempting to find a way to somehow bring the country off the ledge that we are on because of the mad king and what he is doing.”
RELATED: 'It's over': GOP leaders start to come to grips with reality of Trump's loss
The Georgia runoff is Jan. 5. Click here to request an absentee ballot. Early in-person voting starts Dec. 14. And REGISTER TO VOTE here by Dec. 7.
