Reps. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., appeared together on Newsmax on Thursday afternoon, where they sparred over recent speculation about President Donald Trump’s health and rumors of his death.
Rumors spread on social media last weekend and this week that Trump, 79, was suffering from undisclosed serious health problems or had even died, speculation that Trump himself dismissed in social media posts and in public appearances.
In a panel appearance on “American Agenda,” Meuser sharply criticized Democrats over the rumors, saying, “with due respect to Adam Smith and, you know, there are many, many decent Democrat colleagues, but when they get behind a microphone and … speak, they’re really irrational and their entire policy is about getting Trump.”
He continued: “Look at what their leadership is causing in the streets. … Protesters don’t just protest, they just don’t have a conversation with you, they spit at you, they yell at you, they they point their fingers as close to your face as possible. Well, you know what? That all starts at the top.”
Smith, also on the panel, responded that “the Democratic Party does not have a corner on the market of saying stupid things,” noting that “I think that people on both sides get online and say dumb things and do speculation and are too critical of their colleagues.”
He added: “Just to give you one example, there was a congressman from Arizona who did a video game where his avatar was actually killing the avatar of Congresswoman [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez [D-N.Y.]. And of course, on January 6th, we had a little noose hanging up there for [then-Vice President] Mike Pence, and people were wandering around talking about killing [then-House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence.”
Smith said: “So you seriously want to argue that this is just something that only the left wing does? MAGA people called in death threats to Republican members of Congress who voted to certify the election in 2020. So look, I’m with you. Stupid people say stupid things, and we should not do that.”
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