Flake: Trump's treason comments 'not normal'

Sen. Jeff Flake on President Trump referring to Democrats who didn’t clap for him at the State of the Union as “treasonous”: “Treason is not a punchline, Mr. President” https://t.co/e7ufXYmLjy
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 6, 2018

Sen. Jeff FlakeJeffrey (Jeff) Lane Flake Biden nominates former Sen. Tom Udall as New Zealand ambassador Biden to nominate Jane Hartley as UK ambassador: report The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Goldman Sachs - Voting rights will be on '22, '24 ballots MORE (R-Ariz.) ripped President TrumpDonald Trump Former Sen. Heller to run for Nevada governor Overnight Defense & National Security — Milley becomes lightning rod Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley becomes lightning rod on right MORE for suggesting that Democrats not applauding during his State of the Union speech was treason, saying Trump's remarks are "not normal."

"One who levels such a charge knows neither the meaning of treason nor the power that the words of a president carry. ... Our silence will also mark the day that we failed to recognize that this conduct in an American president is simply not normal," Flake said from the Senate floor.

Trump said Monday that Democrats were "un-American" for largely sitting silent and stone-faced during his speech last week, adding: "Somebody said, 'treasonous.' I mean, yeah, I guess. Why not? Can we call that treason? Why not? I mean, they certainly didn't seem to love our country that much."

The White House has defended the remarks, saying Trump was being "tongue-in-cheek," but they've sparked wide backlash from Democrats as well as a growing number of Republicans.

Flake questioned his colleagues, asking if they had grown "numb" to Trump's behavior, and warned if they had grown numb, they would come to regret not standing up for their Senate colleagues.

"I have seen the president's most ardent defenders use the now weary argument that the president's comments were meant as a joke, just sarcasm, only tongue-in-cheek, but treason is not a punch line," he said.

He added that our "Democratic colleagues love this country as much as we do. To suggest otherwise is simply unconscionable."