President Donald Trump accused Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) of suffering from so-called “Trump Derangement Syndrome” during a rant inside the Oval Office on Monday.
Trump's Remarks on Housing Bill and SAVE Act
Trump made the remarks about Murkowski after dismissing a question about the landmark bipartisan housing affordability bill, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which he has refused to sign until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. The president argued that election security and the SAVE America Act, which would require American voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, should take priority over the housing legislation.
“I don’t know. I think it’s so unimportant compared to the SAVE America Act… It’s saving America from crooked elections,” Trump said after being asked about the housing bill.
Frustration with Senate Republicans
The president then voiced his frustration over the four Senate Republicans — Murkowski, Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) — who voted against the SAVE Act that Trump has been pushing ahead of the midterms in November. Trump then singled out Murkowski, telling reporters, “She’s Trump Deranged, what can I tell you?” The president also argued that “nobody has done more for Alaska than me.”
“Those four or five people that I mentioned … how do you vote against SAVE America? How do you vote against it? How do you vote against voter identification or proof of citizenship?” Trump continued.
Accusations of Election Cheating
He then claimed that the only people who would oppose the SAVE Act are those intending “to cheat in an election.” “The Democrats need it because their policy is so bad. They want open borders and high taxes,” Trump added.
Accusing critics and political foes of suffering from “TDS” has been a frequent move of Trump and his administration — despite the fact that it has not been medically recognized as an actual condition.
