Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) avoided directly answering a question Monday about whether Hillary Clinton’s recent remarks in India disparaging Trump voters were appropriate. Instead, Booker responded by telling Meghan McCain on “The View” that President Trump was “intent on separating, dividing.”
In India last week, Clinton called states that voted for Trump “backward-thinking on issues like race and racism.”
When McCain asked Booker if this was appropriate messaging for Democrats, he replied "first of all, the election's over and it's past, and I know that Donald Trump in every other sentence is talking about Obama and Secretary Clinton."
Sen. @CoryBooker speaks out about the importance of bridging the political divide in America: "Patriotism is love of country, love of country demands that we love each other." pic.twitter.com/7s4vb7FIix
— The View (@TheView) March 19, 2018
“The reality is we have to in this coming ’18 election, forget 2020, focus on right now, we have to begin to see each other for the truth of who we are,” he added. “Patriotism is love of country, love of country demands that we love each other, we don’t always have to agree or like each other. Love says I see your worth, I see your value.”
"While Donald Trump seems to be intent on separating, dividing, demeaning, degrading, I want Republicans and Democrats to start a new national narrative about how we need each other,” Booker concluded.
McCain pushed back on this pointing out that, for her, Clinton was the one being divisive with her messaging on Trump voters.
“Do you think this kind of messaging from her is hurting your party right now?” she asked Booker.
“Again Secretary Clinton lost the election, lost the electoral vote,” he replied. “She’s not the president of the United States. My focus is on the future and we right now are in a state of crisis.”
Other Democrats, including Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, have called Clinton's comments unhelpful.
Clinton attempted to explain in a statement Saturday that she “meant no disrespect to any individual or group" and wanted "to look to the future as much as anybody."