What we should be talking about is her temperament, her character, her judicial philosophy. Sasse, a member of the panel, had lavished praise on Barrett, a favorite of conservatives who would tilt the court decidedly to the right. ", The senator also criticized Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying he doesn't think the President's leadership during the crisis has been "reasonable or responsible. “This committee isn’t in the business of deciding which religious beliefs are good and which religious beliefs are bad and which religious beliefs are weird.”, “I want to say as somebody who is a Christian, we have a whole bunch more really weird beliefs, forgiveness of sins, virgin birth, resurrection from the dead, eternal life,” he continued. I am a news reporter covering politics and the 2020 election. But he had toned down his criticism in recent years, earning a crucial endorsement from the president he once savaged. "None of this stuff is the business of the Senate Judiciary Committee," Sasse went on. Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska launched into a scathing critique of President Trump’s leadership in a telephone town-hall with constituents despite supporting his reelection, offering a glaring example of the discontent many Republican lawmakers have with the president. I attended Vassar College and the London School of Economics. “It’s why I didn’t agree to be on his reelection committee, and it’s why I’m not campaigning for him.”. Stories about how you raise your children. And yet there are places where this committee has acted like it’s the job of the committee to delve into people’s religious communities.”. In a statement, Wegmann did not comment on Sasse’s remarks. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., castigated President Donald Trump in a telephone town hall with constituents on Wednesday, accusing the president of bungling the response to the coronavirus pandemic, cozying up to dictators and white supremacists, and offending voters so broadly that he might cause a “Republican bloodbath” in the Senate. Senate Judiciary Committee member Ben Sasse, R-Neb., accused Democrats and the mainstream media Monday night of "attack[ing] religious Americans" and … Sasse's criticism comes the same week that Trump was also lambasted by another member of his party -- Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah -- who pointed to the President's rhetoric as helping to cause the "vile, vituperative, hate-filled morass" that he said is the current tone of American politics. “He refused to treat it seriously,” Sasse said. I have previously worked for MSNBC and Chronogram Magazine. Republican Sen. Ben Sasse criticized President Donald Trump earlier this week during a phone call with constituents, saying a number of unflattering things about the … Forbes has reached out to the White House and Trump campaign for comment. Sasse is known for periodically defying Trump. All market data delayed 20 minutes. (Photo by Tom Williams-Pool/Getty Images), EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change. Sasse’s critique played out after someone on the call asked the senator about his previous criticisms of Trump. Join Ben's campaign team and send proven conservative leadership back to Washington. WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 15: Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) attends the fourth day of the Supreme Court ... [+] confirmation hearing for nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill on October 15, 2020 in Washington, DC. News anchor fired for cameo in Adam Sandler movie, Text messages show raw and intimate exchange between Joe and Hunter Biden, World champion's affair rocks Olympic swimming world, Airport officials strike gold searching passenger’s butt, No, 'Saved by the Bell' star Dustin Diamond did not die in prison riot. Is this a problem? “Even though the Beltway is obsessing exclusively about the presidential race, control of the Senate is 10 times more important.”. “For months, he treated it like a news-cycle-by-news-cycle PR crisis.”, He added that he did not think Trump’s leadership through the crisis had been “reasonable or responsible, or right.”, “The way he kisses dictators' butts,” Sasse said, listing his reservations about Trump. Sasse's office confirmed to CNN on Thursday that the senator made the comments during a "campaign telephone town hall call that went to about 17,000 Nebraskans.". In office, he called Trump’s signature trade war with China “nuts.”. (RELATED: Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy Says People Are Scared Amy Coney Barrett Will Cause Discrimination Against Women), (RELATED: Pence Highlights Harris’ Attacks On Kavanaugh, Democratic Attacks On Amy Coney Barrett), (RELATED: ‘Kavanaugh Sleaze Machine Is Back’ — Conservatives Slam WaPo Story Calling Amy Coney Barrett A Handmaid), (RELATED: Media Outlets Link Catholic Group Associated With Amy Coney Barrett To ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’). No matter who wins, America is about to elect its oldest President ever. It is not a good idea. Civics 101 is the stuff like, ‘Congress writes laws, the executive branch enforces laws, courts apply them.’ ”, Sasse said, “Politics is the stuff that happens underneath civics. “Government is really important, war is important, parking tickets are important but your soul is something that the government can’t touch. The 48-year-old former president of Midland University in Nebraska said, “I’d like to just remind us of the distinction between civics and politics.”, “Civics is the stuff we’re all supposed to agree on regardless of our policy view differences,” he said. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., castigated President Donald Trump in a telephone town hall with constituents on Wednesday, accusing the president of bungling … Sen. Ben Sasse, pictured here during Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing, berated President Trump in a telephone town-hall meeting with constituents. Your Ad Choices All rights reserved. Rarely has a split screen better encapsulated the trade-offs congressional Republicans have accepted over four years of Trump’s presidency than a Republican senator exulting over his conservative Supreme Court nominee in one moment and lamenting his norm-shattering behavior — and his party’s willingness to quietly tolerate it — in the next. Media passes judgement on Amy Coney Barrett's Catholic faith, Michigan Gov. During a May 10, 2017 meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak, President Trump began describing details about an Islamic State terror threat, according to current and former U.S. officials. Sasse, a Republican often at odds with President Trump, defended Barrett and swiped at the Democratic push to expand the number of justices if the party wins the Nov. 3 election. Earlier in the interview, Bream singled out the left-wing outlet Mother Jones for its reporting on the People of Praise religious community, in which Barrett served as a "handmaid," and compared it to anti-Catholic statements made during John F. Kennedy's presidential bid 60 years ago. "Judges have lifetime tenure for a reason. If confirmed, Barrett would replace the late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “The debate is not going to be, ‘Ben Sasse, why were you so mean to Donald Trump?’” Sasse said, according to audio obtained by The Washington Examiner and authenticated by The New York Times.