There was another rhetorical skirmish in the Republican civil war over the weekend, with the former guy issuing what could reasonably be interpreted as a death threat against Mitch McConnell, and Trump didn’t just attack McConnell; he also had to throw in a grotesquely racist jab at McConnell’s wife and Trump cabinet member, Elaine Chao.
Sen. Rick Scott, the guy McConnell tapped to help Republicans retake the Senate this election cycle, made it all worse when refused to stand up for McConnell and Chao against the guy who clearly is his actual leader. In two broadsides on his social media platform Friday, Trump first accused McConnell of “working for the Democrat [sic] Party.”
In a follow-up, asked rhetorically if McConnell was allowing Democrats to pass bills “because he hates Donald J. Trump, and he knows I am strongly opposed to them, or is he doing it because he believes in the Fake and Highly Destructive Green New Deal, and is willing to take the Country down with him? In any event, either reason is unacceptable. He has a DEATH WISH.” Then he added, “Must immediately seek help and advise [sic] from his China loving wife, Coco Chow!”
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As of yet, no elected Republican has stood up to condemn Trump’s casual call to violence or his racism, or to defend McConnell and Chao. Since Congress is on recess now, they won’t have to face reporters directly, and none of them seem to be anxious to make statements about it because it’s the decent thing to do.
Scott was the only elected Republican directly confronted with the question about Trump’s rhetoric Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union and on CBS’ Face the Nation. On CNN, confronted with Trump’s words, Scott said, “I don’t condone violence,” then tried to pivot to pretending that Trump was talking about inflation. No. Really. “I think, you know, what the President is saying is, ‘You know, there’s been a lot of money spent over the last two years. We’ve got to make sure we don’t keep caving to Democrats. It’s causing an unbelievable inflation and causing more and more debt.’”
As for the attack on Chao, “It’s never, ever okay to be a racist,” Scott told CNN’s Dana Bash. “I hope no one is racist. […] I hope no one says anything that’s inappropriate.” Perhaps he’ll send up some prayers, too, for “people” to not be racist. That’ll work.
Here he is on CBS, dodging the question of the incitement of violence implicit in what his leader said Friday—and what Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene escalated at a rally with Trump over the weekend. He dodged it six times in 3 minutes and 45 seconds.
Scott and McConnell have been feuding for months, so it’s not terribly surprising that he’s not out there to defend McConnell. But that’s no excuse for refusing to condemn violent, racist rhetoric. Which tells you everything you need to know about where Republicans are lining up in the next elections.
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