‘Let’s Stop Pretending’: Former Dem Rep Blasts Party For Not ‘Shooting Straight’ With Voters

Former Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio criticized his party Monday for misleading the public following President Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter Biden.

The president issued the pardon Sunday after he claimed for several months that he would not interfere in his son’s legal issues. During an appearance on “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” Ryan echoed radio host Charlamagne Tha God’s comments on “The Breakfast Club,” saying the pardon undermines the notion of Democrats having moral authority over Republicans. (WATCH: Lunden Roberts: Out of the Shadows)

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“I agree with Charlamagne. The Democrats have tried to say that [President-elect] Donald] Trump is the liar. And in many instances he is the gold medalist of liars, in my own opinion, and I think many others,” Ryan said. “But when you say Trump’s anti-democratic, but yet you shut down the primary, no debates, you say that the border’s fine, it’s secure, we’re not for open borders, but yet people are pouring in over the border, when you say that you had a cold and that was the reason for the debate — all of these things — the economy’s going well, people know that that wasn’t shooting straight with them.”

“And so that’s been the narrative and I think people have stopped trusting the Democratic Party. I don’t think people necessarily trust Donald Trump either. But this is the world we’re living in and I think as Democrats, you listen to what Charlamagne’s saying,” he continued. “Like get off of our high horse. Let’s stop pretending like we’re always holier than thou.”

Ryan also criticized Trump for pardoning his daughter Ivanka Trump’s father-in-law, Charles Kushner in December 2020 following his conviction for tax fraud and other crimes in 2004.

“The reality of it is, there’s going to be a reset,” the former congressman added. “Democrats got to get their act together and rebrand the party.”

The president’s statement announcing the pardon included an allegation that his son “was singled out” due to their relationship, a claim which Charlamagne disputed.

“Hunter was ‘singled out’ because he broke the law. That’s number one,” the radio personality said. “He was singled out because he had an illegal gun and tax evasion charges, not because he was the president’s son.”

“I just want Democrats to stop acting like they are on this moral high ground politically when they have shown us they’re not. You know, whether it’s skipping the primary process when Biden had stepped down and things like Biden pardoning his son,” Charlamagne continued. “Stop acting like y’all are the pure party and Republicans aren’t. And it also shows me elected officials can do whatever they want as long as they have the political will and courage to do it.”

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