It’s hard to imagine a more deflating week for House Republicans. After gushing about President Trump’s ability to string together coherent sentences read from a teleprompter, they quickly found themselves buried in a deepening Russia scandal and the humiliation of not having an ACA replacement after seven years.
Let’s take a quick look at the week as it unfolded:
- President Trump read from a teleprompter and House Republicans collectively lost their minds in a fit of glee. It’s easy to see why these reactions were fraught with peril for vulnerable Republicans that represent districts that Clinton won.
- Example: Mike Coffman (CO-06) praised Trump’s speech as something of a turnaround – a comment that will not age well with his constituents who rejected Trump by 8.9%.
- Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied under oath about his contacts with Russians while he was a member of the Trump campaign. Intentionally lying under oath is perjury. Despite widespread calls for his resignation, Trump and House Republicans doubled down on their support for Sessions – guaranteeing that this scandal stays in the news.
- House Republicans were exposed for not having a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act after saying they had a secret bill. An actual scavenger hunt for the bill ensued on Capitol Hill.
- Example: Trump errand boy Chris Collins (NY-27) emphasized that Republicans are intentionally making sure that the public does not get to see their “plan”.
- The local press and grassroots activists continue to lambaste cowardly House Republicans for refusing to hold town halls.
- Example: John Katko (NY-24) excused his lack of town halls with the fact that he has to work in DC during the week. Either Katko has just admitted that he will not return to his district for a month and a half, or he thinks that his constituents don’t recognize the existence of weekends.