Democratic leaders are running in the opposite direction of Rep. Maxine Waters’ calls for people to harass Trump officials in public.
Waters, responding to reports that White House press secretary Sarah Sanders was asked to leave a restaurant, asserted on Saturday that people should harass Trump officials whenever they are in public. (RELATED: Maxine Waters: God Is On The Side Of People Driving Trump Officials From Restaurants)
Democrats have been unwilling to publicly defend Waters and the top Democrats in the House and Senate have even publicly condemned her.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted on Monday that Waters’ comments were “unacceptable.” (RELATED: Pelosi Finds A Way To Blame Trump For Maxine Waters Mob Comments)
“In the crucial months ahead, we must strive to make America beautiful again. Trump’s daily lack of civility has provoked responses that are predictable but unacceptable. As we go forward, we must conduct elections in a way that achieves unity from sea to shining sea,” Pelosi wrote.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer similarly said that “no one should call for harassment of political opponents” because it is “not American.”
Schumer: “no one should call for harassment of political opponents. that’s not right. that’s not American”
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) June 25, 2018
Senator Cory Booker, whose name has been floated as a potential 2020 presidential candidate, was not quite as forceful in his condemnation as Pelosi and Schumer. (RELATED: Cory Booker Breaks From Maxine Waters On Harassing Trump Supporters)
“I worry in our country right now that were descending to a hatred of American hating American that is not going to solve our problems,” Booker said. “We’ve got to get to a point in our country where we can talk to each other, where we are all seeking a more beloved community, and some of those tactics that people are advocating for, to me, don’t reflect that spirit.”
Former Obama officials David Axelrod and Arne Duncan joined current Democratic congresspeople in soundly denouncing the idea of harassing cabinet members.
Couldn’t disagree more with @MaxineWaters. Disgusted with this admin’s policies? Organize, donate, volunteer, VOTE! Rousting Cabinet members from restaurants is an empty and, ultimately, counter-productive gesture that won’t change a thing.
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) June 25, 2018
My personal opinion:
No matter how much we dislike or disagree with someone, we should not deny them the chance to have a meal.
The history in our country of denying people access to restaurants, to water fountains and even bathrooms is too raw, too real.
We can’t keep dividing.— Arne Duncan (@arneduncan) June 24, 2018