Grassley knocks Trump, Fox News over town hall answer

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), normally a staunch ally of the White House, chided President Trump and Fox News over a town hall this week in which the president struggled to articulate what he wanted to accomplish in a potential second term.

Trump caught a lot of flak from Republicans last week for failing to cite a single agenda item for the next four years, saying only that he now has experience and knows players in Washington.

“Does FOXNews want Trump Re-elected?Watched Hannity/Trump interview/KEY QUESTION”What goals in next term?Trump starts answer/gets off point and Hannity helps digress and that’s end of the most important Q to get FOUR MORE YEARS OF DRAINING THE SWAMP &Justices,” Grassley tweeted. 

Does FOXNews want Trump Re-elected?Watched Hannity/Trump interview/KEY QUESTION”What goals in next term?Trump starts answer/gets off point and Hannity helps digress and that’s end of the most important Q to get FOUR MORE YEARS OF DRAINING THE SWAMP &Justices

— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) June 27, 2020

The remark was the latest criticism over Trump’s answer, which detractors said lacked substance while the White House faces a series of crises over the economy, the pandemic and protests over racial justice. 

“You make some mistakes. Like, you know, an idiot like Bolton,” Trump said during the interview when asked about a second term, referencing former national security adviser John Bolton. “All he wanted to do was drop bombs on everybody. You don’t have to drop bombs on everybody. You don’t have to kill people.”

Trump defended his appearance on Fox News on Saturday morning, saying he “dominated T.V. with my interview on Thursday night.”

Grassley has urged Trump to adopt a change in tone as he grapples with the pandemic and civil unrest, saying he runs the risk of being a one-term president and that “We won’t hv more good scotus justices or the best economy in 50 years like we hv had if he doesn’t follow that advice.”

Will somebody w access to the Oval Office read the WSJ editorial “The Trump Referendum” to President Trump. We won’t hv more good scotus justices or the best economy in 50 years like we hv had if he doesn’t follow that advice

— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) June 26, 2020