PUSHBACK

Ex-GOP Rep to Republicans: Don’t Be Afraid of Trump’s Tweets

In response to the president’s remarks on Charlottesville.

Former Rep. J.C. Watts (R-OK) advised his fellow Republicans on Sunday to not be afraid of President Trump’s Twitter wrath if they want to speak out against the president’s response to the Charlottesville violence. “This is not a time for us to be afraid of being tweeted,” Watts said on NBC’s Meet the Press, referring to the president’s penchant for using Twitter to go after those who cross him. “This is not a time for us to suppress our convictions. ... If they’re silent, they wear the cap—intentionally or unintentionally—saying we agree with that.” Watts added that he was “disappointed” that more faith leader did not resign from Trump’s council in the wake of his comments last week seeming to suggest a moral equivalence between white supremacists and anti-racism protesters.