Republican Rep. Lynn Jenkins called President Donald Trump’s behavior on Twitter “unacceptable” in the wake of his latest attack against “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski.
“They’re unacceptable. I hope that they stop, and that we all can get back to civil discourse, treating each other with respect on both sides of the aisle, and putting good public policy first,” Jenkins, a Kansas Republican, told CNN Thursday.
As “Morning Joe” was still being aired, Trump fired off a series of tweets criticizing Brzezinski for allegedly “bleeding badly from a face-lift” while staying at Mar-a-Lago around New Year’s Eve.
In response, Jenkins, who previously served as the vice chair of the House Republican Conference, swiftly condemned the Republican president.
“This is not okay. As a female in politics I am often criticized for my looks. We should be working to empower women,” she tweeted.
Jenkins was joined by several other representatives who criticized Trump’s behavior on Twitter. When asked by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer whether she has heard any positive responses from lawmakers to Trump’s early-morning tweet, Jenkins replied: “Not this particular tweet.”
“I think everyone around here wants to take the high road,” Jenkins said, later adding that members of Congress are always willing to “debate and disagree” with each other on substantive policy issues, but to “refer to a female’s face — as someone involved in politics, it’s just not appropriate.”
Trump’s Twitter controversy comes as lawmakers are focusing on legislative issues like health care and tax reform as they head into the July 4 recess. According to Jenkins, those areas are where Trump’s attention should be.
“We would just appreciate it if the President could focus with us on doing some really good things for the American people and leave comments like that to himself,” she said.