GOP strategist Karl Rove says Democrats looked “churlish and small” during President Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress.
“They were in an awkward place last night. They don’t like him,” Rove said Wednesday on Fox Business Network’s “Varney & Co.”
“When he denounced hate and evil in all of its forms, a lot of Democrats didn’t applaud and very few of them stood,” Rove added. “That’s just how poisoned the atmosphere is.”
“When he talked about repealing and replacing ObamaCare, you had backbenchers, literally the backbenchers, going ‘thumbs down’ on camera.”
Rove said Trump seemed visibly distracted by Democrats’ behavior.
“You could tell it affected his delivery a bit,” he said. “[Democrats] stood up and applauded on paid family leave, they stood up and applauded on NATO.”
“They joined in when they should have in honoring the widow of Senior Chief Ryan Owens,” Rove continued, referencing a Navy SEAL who died during a recent raid in Yemen. “Other than that they just sat there in stony silence.”
Trump struck a more positive tone during Tuesday’s speech, focusing on optimism and unity during his remarks to Congress.
Democrats were shown giving Trump thumbs down as he discussed repealing and replacing ObamaCare.
Faint laughter also greeted Trump’s vow that he had moved to “drain the swamp of government corruption” in Washington, D.C.
Democrats additionally groaned when Trump mentioned his new office focusing on crimes committed by people in the country illegally.
Trump nonetheless called for bipartisan cooperation during his nearly hourlong address.
“The time for trivial fights is behind us,” he said. “The time for small thinking is behind us.”
“We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts, the bravery to express the hopes that stir our souls and the confidence to turn those hopes and dreams to action.”