Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein reportedly stunned a San Francisco crowd Tuesday evening after she called for “patience” with President Trump, saying the president can do good for the country if he learns from his mistakes.
Ms. Feinstein made the comments during an hourlong conversation with former Rep. Ellen Tauscher at a sold-out Commonwealth Club event in Herbst Theater. According to several reports, Ms. Feinstein was on the receiving end of hisses and boos when she took a more diplomatic approach to discussing the president and whether he should resign or be impeached.
“I think we have to have some patience, I do,” Ms. Feinstein, ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and a senior member on Intelligence, told the crowd. “It’s eight months into the tenure of the presidency … We’ll have to see if he can forget himself and his feelings about himself enough to be able to have the empathy and direction that this country needs.”
If he doesn’t, she said, “there are things that can be done.” She added, however, that Mr. Trump would most likely serve out the rest of his term.
“This man is going to be president most likely for the rest of this term,” Ms. Feinstein said. “I just hope he has the ability to learn and change. If he does, he can be a good president.”
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the crowd reacted to the comments with “stunned silence, broken only with scattered ’No’s’ and a few hisses and some nervous laughter.”
The Los Angeles Times reported that several audience members booed and shouted, “No!”
Ms. Feinstein did reserve some criticism for Mr. Trump, concerning his recent pardon of former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, saying it sent a message to police departments across the country that racial profiling is OK, the Chronicle reported.
“It was a stupid thing to do,” the senator said.
Ms. Feinstein also criticized the president’s border wall with Mexico, saying money would be better spent sending aid to Hurricane Harvey victims.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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