Less than a full 24 hours after Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) called for Donald Trump’s resignation on Twitter, the president had predictably taken the bait and attacked her personally on his preferred platform. “Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who would come to my office ‘begging’ for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump,” he tweeted. “Very disloyal to Bill & Crooked-USED!” Per the New York Times, Trump’s latest outburst may also stem from Monday’s focus on his accusers.
Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who would come to my office “begging” for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump. Very disloyal to Bill & Crooked-USED!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2017
When Gillibrand tweeted about Trump’s resignation on Monday, however, the Democratic senator acknowledged neither the president nor — by extension — his followers and political supporters would “hold himself accountable.” So she declared “Congress should investigate the multiple sexual harassment and assault allegations against him.” Needless to say, Trump wasn’t happy about Gillibrand’s tweet and the positive responses it generated, hence Tuesday’s brief lashing.
The senator seems to be taking the president’s response in stride, as her followup piled it on even higher. “You cannot silence me or the millions of women who have gotten off the sidelines to speak out about the unfitness and shame you have brought to the Oval Office,” wrote Gillibrand. As of this writing, Trump has not directly responded to Gillibrand’s latest jab. Considering her being at the forefront of the Senate Democrats’ recent push to oust Sen. Al Franken over the sexaul misconduct allegations levied against him, however, it seems highly likely that Trump will eventually say something.
You cannot silence me or the millions of women who have gotten off the sidelines to speak out about the unfitness and shame you have brought to the Oval Office. https://t.co/UbQZqubXZv
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) December 12, 2017
UPDATE: Following her tweeted exchange with Trump, Sen. Gillibrand addressed the matter with reporters. While she didn’t consider the president’s tweet to be sexual harassment, as some have suggested, the Democratic senator did call it a “sexist smear”:
“I see it as a sexist smear. That’s what it is. It’s part of the president’s effort at namecalling, and it’s not going to silence me. It’s intended to silence me. It’s not going to silence the women who have stood up against him directly, and it’s not going to silence the millions of women out there who have been speaking out every day since his inauguration about things they disagree with.”
As for the recent report that dozens of Democratic congresswomen are now calling for a House investigation into Trump’s alleged sexual misconduct, Gillibrand said it was “the right thing to do.” She added, “These allegation should be investigated. They should be investigated thoroughly, that is the right thing to do, and I am urging them to do that.”
(Via New York Times)