Wednesday on CNN’s “Wolf,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) discussed the suspicious packages sent to several political and media figures including the Clintons, Obamas and CNN’s New York offices.
The Rhode Island Democrat blamed the “lock her up” chants often heard at political rallies host by President Donald Trump.
Reed said, “This is an attack on our government, our Constitution. These are people who have enjoyed the trust and support of the American people to support us, two presidents, as you point out, a secretary of state. So it’s not just an individualized attack. It’s an attack on our system of government, our Constitution. As you pointed out and I think is quite obvious, some of this is a reflection of the tone of debate. When the president is at a rally and smiles as people chant ‘lock her up’ or make direct attacks on the news media, that doesn’t raise the level of debate, that lowers it and it creates this environment where these acts could take place. Not only being an attack, this is an act of profound cowardice. Someone is sending an explosive device anonymously to people who could be hurt, and this is something that is just disreputable.”
He added, “He has to stand up personally, not through a Twitter message or endorsing someone else’s statement and very calmly talk about this is a threat to our Constitution. And then he has to begin to raise the tenor about public life here. He can’t condone these chants of ‘lock her up,’ et cetera. That’s unpresidential. He has to now step up as a president and call us all to a much higher level of conduct and debate and discussion.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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