A Republican Senator says it’s not his job to challenge President Trump when he lies.
In announcing his retirement from Congress after one term, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) called on his colleagues to restore civility to Washington and to speak out against Trump. Following the speech, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), “When [Trump] lies about something and you know it’s a lie, shouldn’t you speak up?”
“That’s your job,” Risch responded.
Blitzer then asserted that it was, in fact, Risch’s job.
“Wolf, if I went around criticizing a statement that was made by the President, or any one of my fellow senators, or any one of the congressmen up here, or people in Idaho who hold public office, and I stood up and talked every time they talked and said, ‘I don’t like this, I don’t like that,’ I’m criticizing — I’d be busy all day long,” Risch said.
Risch also said Trump has “a “unique personality” and a “strong character,” noting he did sometimes disagree with the president.
Last Thursday, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said of Trump’s untruths, “This president speaks in hyperbole. And hyperbole is interpreted by some as lies.”
Speaking of those Trump lies (or hyperbole)
On Tuesday, the Toronto Star (which is keeping a running total of Trump lies on its website) reported that last week Trump set a personal record for telling untruths, with 57 lies told. His previous max was 40, set three weeks prior. This means Trump has made 777 false claims in his first 276 days in office — an average of 2.8 per day.
The Star reported that during his interview with Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo, he made 11 false claims. During a press conference with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell he made 10. He told some untruths repeatedly. He said seven times that the U.S. is the world’s highest-taxed country, which it is not.
