WASHINGTON — During election season, there was “Lyin’ Ted,” “Little Marco,” “Crazy Bernie,” “Low-Energy Jeb,” “Goofy Elizabeth Warren” and “Crooked Hillary.”
Now it seems President-elect Trump has found his name of choice for the Senate minority leader: “clown” Chuck Schumer.
“The Democrats, lead by head clown Chuck Schumer, know how bad ObamaCare is and what a mess they are in,” Trump tweeted today.
He also tweeted: “Republicans must be careful in that the Dems own the failed ObamaCare disaster, with its poor coverage and massive premium increases. like the 116% hike in Arizona. Also, deductibles are so high that it is practically useless. Don’t let the Schumer clowns out of this web.”
Schumer responded to the tweets during a press conference on Capitol Hill today, chiding Trump that “this is serious, serious stuff.”
“People’s health is at stake. And, people’s lives are at stake. Now, we understand that President-elect Trump is in a difficult spot — that Republicans are in a difficult spot. They want to repeal ACA and have no idea how to replace it,” the Dem leader said. “…I’d say to the president-elect and the Republicans that this is not a time for calling names. It’s time for them to step up to the plate if they want to repeal and show us what they’d replace it with.”
That represents a falling-out of sorts.
“I’ve liked Schumer for a long time. I’ve actually, I’ve raised a lot of money for Chuck and given him a lot of money over the years. I think I was the first person that ever contributed to Chuck Schumer,” Trump told the New York Times on Nov. 23. “But Chuck Schumer’s a good guy. I think we’ll get along very well.”
In 2010, Trump made multiple donations to Schumer’s Senate re-election campaign totaling $4,000. (He also donated that year to New York Dem Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Karl Rove’s American Crossroads super PAC, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and Rep. Anthony Weiner.)
On PBS News Hour tonight, Vice President Joe Biden started a new line of attack that’s sure to draw a Trump tweet or two.
When asked about the “clown” slam of Schumer and other tweets, Biden smiled and replied, “Grow up, Donald. Grow up. Time to be an adult. You’re president.”
“You gotta do something,” the veep added. “Show us what you have.”
WATCH TONIGHT: @VP Joe Biden tells President-elect @realDonaldTrump, “Grow up, Donald … Time to be an adult.” pic.twitter.com/hhpIaIDhRo
— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) January 5, 2017
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