Every day in the Trump presidency has seen a different societal norm shattered and a new low reached, but the president’s tweet about Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) yesterday was perhaps rock bottom (of course, until the next thing).
Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who would come to my office “begging” for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump. Very disloyal to Bill & Crooked-USED!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2017
Coming on the heels of another tweet denying that he’d met his sexual assault accusers, Trump’s words were interpreted as implying the senator would trade sex for money. And although Trump’s press secretary denied the implication was anything sexual, USA Today‘s editorial board dismissed Sanders’ claim and tore into the president in one of the more fierce opinion articles you’ll ever read.
This isn’t about the policy differences we have with all presidents or our disappointment in some of their decisions. Obama and Bush both failed in many ways. They broke promises and told untruths, but the basic decency of each man was never in doubt.
Donald Trump, the man, on the other hand, is uniquely awful. His sickening behavior is corrosive to the enterprise of a shared governance based on common values and the consent of the governed.
Then they went for the kill shot.
With his latest tweet, clearly implying that a United States senator would trade sexual favors for campaign cash, President Trump has shown he is not fit for office. Rock bottom is no impediment for a president who can always find room for a new low.
A president who would all but call Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand a whore is not fit to clean the toilets in the Barack Obama Presidential Library or to shine the shoes of George W. Bush.
Hot. Dang. You can read the entire op-ed here.
Editor’s note: The headline of this article has been updated for clarity.