Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on Sunday refused to rebuke violent rhetoric by former President Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) in a heated interview with CBS’ Margaret Brennan.
During an appearance on “Face the Nation,” Brennan asked Scott, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, to respond to Trump’s racially-tinged statement on Friday in which he called Elaine Chao, the wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who also served as his Transportation secretary, “Coco Chow” and “China loving.”
Brennan also asked Scott whether remarks by Greene during a Trump rally Saturday, in which she suggested Democrats were killing Republicans, was dangerous.
Scott initially responded by suggesting that “what we got to do is we got to bring everybody together” before turning toward criticizing comments by Vice President Harris and saying that Trump was talking about “unbelievable spending that’s causing inflation hurting the poorest families.”
But Brennan pressed by then pointing to yet another part of Trump’s statement in which he says McConnell has a “death wish” for supporting a government funding bill that was supported by Democrats who hold the majority in the Senate.
“But what I quoted you is a phrase saying McConnell ‘has a death wish.’ He said racist things about Elaine Chao. And then, ‘they have already started the killings.’ I mean, that’s not a policy dispute, senator, the language is what I’m talking about. Isn’t that dangerous?” Brennan asked.
“I think we all have to figure out how do we start bringing people together and have a common goal to give every American the opportunity to get a great job, their kids to have an education [so] they believe they can be anything and make sure everybody lives in a safe community,” Scott responded.
McConnell and Trump’s relationship has been a rocky one since the former president was in the White House, and Trump in recent weeks has repeatedly lambasted the top Senate Republican, saying he should no longer serve as GOP leader while attacking Chao, referencing her family’s American business that also has dealings in China.
“He has a DEATH WISH,” Trump said of McConnell on Friday after he voted for a bill to fund the government through mid-December. “Must immediately seek help and advise from his China loving wife, Coco Chow!” using a term that is considered to be a racial slur.
Scott on CBS declined to say if that language brings people together.
“He look — he likes for you know, he gives people nicknames. I’m sure he has a nickname for me, alright?” he said of what Trump called Chao. “So you can ask him what he means by his nicknames… I can try my best to bring people together and I’m gonna try to bring people together.”
The day after Trump’s post, Greene traveled to Michigan to speak at a rally the former president held in support of his endorsed candidates there.
“I’m not going to mince words with you all. Democrats want Republicans dead, and they have already started the killings,” Greene said.
When Brennan told Scott that Greene’s comments we not true, Scott said he had not heard Greene’s remarks before turning to criticizing Harris for a remark she made a Democratic National Committee event on Friday when asked about the administration’s response to climate change.
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Rick Scott, CBS host spar over Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene comments https://t.co/vmUzQgyPhl pic.twitter.com/U7Sqrw9KQj
— The Hill (@thehill) October 2, 2022
Asked on CNN about Trump seemingly making a death threat against Mitch McConnell, Rick Scott refuses to condemn it, saying "the president [sic] likes to give people nicknames. I'm sure he has a nickname for me." pic.twitter.com/NGgzh9U5rI
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 2, 2022
Watching @ScottforFlorida flop sweat on @FaceTheNation, utterly terrified to denounce Marjorie Taylor Greene‘s insane threats and Donald Trump‘s racist tirade against Mitch McConnell is profile in chickenshit.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) October 2, 2022
Let me help you, @SenRickScott
“Taylor-Greene’s language was inappropriate and unconscionable.”
“The former president should never have made those disgusting and racist comments about Elaine Chao.”
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) October 2, 2022
Pathetic.
Would be it SO hard for one of them to say, "What Donald Trump said about Senator McConnell and Secretary Chao was deplorable?"
Apparently it would too hard.
Thus Trump doth make cowards of them all. https://t.co/ON5R6S8LTo
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) October 2, 2022
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