Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer on Wednesday attacked President Trump’s State of the Union address, calling it “political, divisive, calculating, even nasty at times.”
Mr. Schumer, who was in a tiff with the president hours before the address to Congress and the nation, said the speech was “sort of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” with most of the emphasis on the “Mr. Hyde” elements.
“The president was political, divisive, calculating, even nasty at times,” the New York Democrat said on CNN’s “New Day.” “You can’t talk comity and working together and give a speech that is just so divisive. That just doesn’t fly.”
The top Senate Democrat accused Mr. Trump’s speech of having no substance on areas of real bipartisanship such as infrastructure and drug prices. He stressed that Democrats would be willing to work on these legislative issues if the president could put forward proposals they could take seriously.
Mr. Schumer slammed the speech for being filled with hypocrisy, particularly regarding protection for those with health preconditions and Mr. Trump’s promises on North Korea.
“This is not a reality show. This is not a one-day hit,” he said. “This is serious work, and the president seems unable to do it on North Korea or most anywhere else.”
The senator also criticized the president for his reported remarks in a closed-door luncheon.
Multiple outlets have reported based on information from attendees that Mr. Trump insulted Democrats at the private event, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Mr. Schumer and even a Republican — the late Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
According to the reports, Mr. Trump said the Senate minority leader was a “nasty son of a b——.”
Mr. Schumer said his earlier comments about the president’s speech clearly “got under his skin.”
“That’s like a 10-year-old in a schoolyard in Brooklyn or Queens,” he said.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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