Former FBI Director James Comey took to Twitter on Wednesday to contrast President Trump’s rally the night before with former President Ronald Reagan’s directive to “speak kindly.”
“After last night’s rally, it is important to remember we once had a President who spoke these words, ‘Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God.’ Ronald Reagan,” Comey said on Twitter.
Comey, who has become a vocal critic of the Trump administration, frequently takes to Twitter to share pointed quotes in response to Trump’s actions.
Comey remarks come a day after Trump mocked Christine Blasey Ford, the first woman to accuse his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, during a rally in Mississippi.
“‘How did you get home?'” Trump said on Tuesday, imitating Ford’s testimony about the alleged assault before the Senate Judiciary Committee. “‘I don’t remember.’ ‘How’d you get there?’ ‘I don’t remember.’ ‘Where is the place?’ ‘I don’t remember.’ ‘How many years ago was it?’ ‘I don’t know.'”
Trump’s mockery of Ford prompted several GOP senators who have been viewed as a potential swing vote for his Supreme Court nominee to break with the president.
{mosads}GOP Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) called Trump’s comments “plain wrong,” and Republican Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) told NBC’s “Today” that the president’s comments were “kind of appalling.” GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) also said Trump’s comments on Ford were “wholly inappropriate.”
Republicans currently hold 51 seats in the Senate. They can only afford to lose one GOP senator’s vote on Kavanaugh before they will need to lean on Democrats to have him confirmed.
So far, no Democrats have said they plan to support Kavanaugh, although Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) remain undecided.