Former President Barack Obama’s chief campaign strategist David Axelrod said Wednesday that Democrats’ behavior at President Donald Trump’s Tuesday congressional address was ineffective.
Democratic Texas Rep. Al Green disrupted Trump’s address just minutes into his speech, while other Democrats in the chamber held signs protesting the president. Axelrod, on “CNN News Central,” criticized what he called “the performative stuff” by the Democrats, but asserted that the actions were a product of deep political polarization. (RELATED: 22 Dem Senators Rebuke Trump In Copy-Pasted Speech Ahead Of President’s Address To Congress)
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“I don’t think the performative stuff was very helpful at all last night. But, you know, here’s the deal: Both parties in some ways are captives of their bases,” Axelrod said. “And I think that there are a lot of members of Congress who probably come from districts that are overwhelmingly Democratic, who feel like their constituents are expecting them to be very actively protesting what the president is doing.”
“So just as on the Republican side, you know, the base loves the stuff that enrages people who aren’t in the base,” he continued. “And so the members respond to that. This is one of the problems with a highly polarized country.”
During Trump’s speech, Green rose from his seat in the chamber and told the president that he “had no mandate” prior to getting ejected. A CNN poll conducted by SSRS on Tuesday found that 80% of the viewing audience thought Green’s disruption was “inappropriate.”
However, radio host Charlamagne Tha God praised Green for his actions on Wednesday, but criticized the Democrats who held signs.
“A lot of them honestly shouldn’t have shown up if they weren’t going to be more disruptive,” Charlamagne said. “Like, salute to Congressman Al Green — OG got some nuts, you know what I’m saying? Meanwhile, the rest of them out there holding up signs like they at a silent auction.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday repeatedly declined to remark on how he felt about Green interrupting the president’s speech.
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