GOP Rep. On Trump: ‘The President Is A Distraction’ And Never Learns

GOP candidates U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, left, debates challenger Bryan Smith at Canyon Ridge High School on April 25, 2014 in Twin Falls, Idaho. The 2nd Congressional Representative GOP debate Friday night hosted by the (Twin Falls) Times-News was the first of two debates for this race in Idaho.(AP Photo/Times-News, Ashley Smith)
GOP candidates U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, left, debates challenger Bryan Smith at Canyon Ridge High School on April 25, 2014 in Twin Falls, Idaho. The 2nd Congressional Representative GOP debate Friday night hosted by t... GOP candidates U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, left, debates challenger Bryan Smith at Canyon Ridge High School on April 25, 2014 in Twin Falls, Idaho. The 2nd Congressional Representative GOP debate Friday night hosted by the (Twin Falls) Times-News was the first of two debates for this race in Idaho.(AP Photo/Times-News, Ashley Smith) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

A Republican congressman gave a surprisingly candid assessment of President Donald Trump and his young administration Thursday: They’re a distraction, and they never learn.

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) vented to the Politico after another disappointing failure to gather the votes to repeal Obamacare in the Senate — with Trump himself frequently changing positions on the effort, and failing to throw his political heft behind Republicans senators.

“I don’t even pay any attention to what is going on with the administration because I don’t care. They’re a distraction. The family is a distraction, the President is a distraction,” Simpson said. “At first, it was, ‘Well yeah, this is the guy we elected. He’ll learn, he’ll learn.’ And you just don’t see that happening.”

Simpson’s comments echoed the frustration expressed to TPM by many members of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, who were able to pass a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare only to see the effort fail in the Senate.

Latest Livewire
96
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for pshah pshah says:

    The reason Republicans support a Russian mole in the White House is that they’re scared of his base and thought he’d at least pass their agenda.

    Well, with no major legislative victories and the start of erosion of support from his base, maybe Republicans can actually do their job and stand up for America for a change?

  2. People have to give Trump a chance. Give him time. Remember: He’s brand spanking new at having to navigate in the moral sphere.

  3. That’s YOUR president, Rep. You OWN him.

  4. “clarification” coming in 3… 2… 1…

  5. He must be the 1 out of 8…

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

90 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for austin_dave Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for smiley Avatar for clemmers Avatar for bluestatedon Avatar for maxwellsdemon Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for crackerjack Avatar for inversion Avatar for mantan Avatar for tracerbullet Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for left_in_washington_state Avatar for geofu54 Avatar for pabodie Avatar for gajake Avatar for rickjones Avatar for lizzymom Avatar for misha Avatar for coimmigrant Avatar for thinski Avatar for clare Avatar for justruss

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: