Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Charlie Dent said he is “saddened” by President Donald Trump’s behavior on “Morning Joe” Wednesday, and believes it’s up to the GOP to rein in the commander-in-chief.
“I believe that we have an obligation as Republicans to stand up for what I think we’ve stood for a long time,” Dent said. “We’re supposed to be a party about principles and ideals, and I think what’s happened is that the — prior to Donald Trump, I’ve always said that this party used to have litmus test issues and we had the purity police who would judge us and determine whether or not we were doctrine enough.”
“Since Donald Trump stepped up, the litmus test has become loyalty to the man,” Dent added.
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Dent said it falls to Republicans to pull Trump back when he “goes off the rails” and referenced Charlottesville and Trump’s comments on Muslims as examples.
“I think it’s incumbent on us as members of the Republican party to stand up for things,” Dent said. “When the president goes off the rail on trade, we should call him out. Or if he makes some absurd statements, whether it’s Charlottesville or about Muslims. You go down the whole list of things he said over the time he’s been a candidate or president that we had to rein him in.”
“I think we need to do that more forcefully from time to time and I’m a little saddened by that,” he concluded.
Dent announced his retirement from Congress Tuesday and said he will be stepping down in the coming weeks.
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