President Trump hit back at Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska as an “embarrassment” on Saturday, after the lawmaker criticized the president as someone who “kisses dictators’ butts.”
“The least effective of our 53 Republican Senators, and a person who truly doesn’t have what it takes to be great, is Little Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a State which I have gladly done so much to help,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “Little Ben is a liability to the Republican Party, and an embarrassment to the Great State of Nebraska. Other than that, he’s just a wonderful guy!”
Mr. Sasse, in a private phone call with constituents recently, said he fears a “bloodbath” for Senate Republican candidates on Election Day because the president is unpopular.
“What the heck were any of us thinking that selling a TV-obsessed narcissistic individual to the American people was a good idea? It is not a good idea,” Mr. Sasse said. “I think we are staring down the barrel of a blue tsunami and we’ve got to hold the Senate and that’s what I’m focused on.”
He said Mr. Trump “kisses dictators’ butts,” “sells out our allies,” mistreats women and “spends like a drunken sailor.” Mr. Sasse’s seat is considered safe in his reelection bid this year.
The president, who has clashed with Mr. Sasse in the past, said the lawmaker “was as nice as a RINO can be until he recently won the Republican nomination to run for a second term.”
“Then he went back to his rather stupid and obnoxious ways. Must feel he can’t lose to a Dem,” the president said.
Sasse spokesman James Wegmann tweeted in response to the president’s criticisms on Saturday, “Ben said the same thing to Nebraskans that he has repeatedly said to the President directly in the Oval Office. Ben is focused on defending the Republican Senate majority, and he’s not going to waste a single minute on tweets.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.