Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) said on CNN’s *State of the Union* Sunday that President Donald Trump is responsible for lowering the level of civility in politics.
Anchor Jake Tapper discussed the reaction of some House Democrats during Trump’s recent address to Congress, mentioning their protests, matching outfits, and the interruption by Congressman Al Green waving his cane.
Kim responded, “This was my third time being in the chamber for one of President Trump’s addresses to a joint session, and it’s only getting worse. Trump is very good at bringing the country down to his level. When we see him start with personal insults, including targeting people in the chamber, he sets a tone of disregard for civility. He’s someone who seems uninterested in fostering respectful engagement in this country.”
He continued, “It’s insulting when I think about the job I do, and the job he does. We both have positions outlined in the Constitution, which should push us to hold ourselves to the highest standards. But Trump is lowering the tone, the rhetoric, and the overall civility in politics. I don’t like what I see happening across the board—whether it’s Marjorie Taylor Greene’s behavior in the past or actions on my own side. While we should aim to hold ourselves to a higher standard, it's clear that Trump is bringing the level of discourse down to incivility, which the majority of Americans can’t stand.”