Dem: Trump ‘dragged this country deep into the mud of autocracy and dictatorship’ with ‘treason’ comment

Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) on Tuesday blasted President Trump, accusing him of pulling the U.S. “deep into the mud of autocracy and dictatorship” for suggesting that Democrats who did not clap during his State of the Union address acted treasonously. 

“This president, and in that moment, dragged this country deep into the mud of autocracy and dictatorship, as opposed to the kind of democracy that, whether you watch Fox News or [MSNBC’s] Rachel Maddow, you ought to aspire this country to have,” Himes said on CNN’s “New Day.”

Himes also said that the refusal of some Democrats to clap for “things that they disagree with” was less disrespectful than Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) shouting “you lie” during former President Obama’s address before a joint session of Congress in 2009. 

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“I would suggest that standing up and shouting ‘you lie’ is a little bit less dignified, a little less thoughtful than people not applauding for things that they disagree with,” he said.

Trump on Monday accused Democrats who did not clap during his State of the Union address last week of being “treasonous.”

“Even on positive news, really positive news like that, they were like death, and un-American,” Trump said during a speech in Cincinnati. “Somebody said ‘treasonous.’ I mean, yeah, I guess, why not?”

“Can we call that treason?” he said. “Why not? I mean, they certainly didn’t seem to love our country very much.”