It’s crazy that even when Donald Trump has gotten so much terrible press for his lies and failures like his border wall, there are still Republicans who dare to defend him. Republican strategist Rick Santorum found out that this isn’t the best career choice earlier today, when he tried to mansplain the president’s border wall to three women experts on CNN’s State of the Union — and he got his a*s handed to him.
During the heated segment, Santorum tried to defend Trump and say that he wasn’t to blame for the government shutdown, even though it happened solely because of the president’s border wall. Santorum told the panel of women:
I don’t think there is any question: on a policy side, there is a deal to be made. The question is whether there’s a deal to be made politically. The Democrats don’t want to give the president a win on this issue,’ he opined. ‘And if that’s the case, if they’re that dug in, we’re going to be here for a long time because I don’t think the president is going to back down. [They will have to give him] at least some colorable money that can be used for wall funding. I think he is clear that some wall money is necessary and it’s really up to the Democrats.'”
Santorum may have not known who he was speaking to, because he soon found out he’d made a terrible mistake. There were three Democratic women sitting with him, and they let him have it. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) checked him:
No, he is not right. The president has not reached out to Nancy Pelosi. The Senate passed — and thought they were done — a continuing resolution that would have funded the government until Feb. 8. [House Speaker] Paul Ryan refused to bring it up because the president suddenly — after telling them he would sign it — said that he wouldn’t sign it.
Right now, we have a Republican president, Republican House and Republican Senate. They’re in control. We need to have discussions. I can tell you right now, [when the Democrats take over] on Jan. 3, one of the first actions that day will be a resolution to pass through the House that will be to reopen the government.”
Santorum whined, “But it won’t be to fund the wall! And that’s the problem.”
Former Labor Secretary Linda Chavez said Trump was telling America a “big lie” by saying there was a “crisis” of illegal immigration. She said:
We are no longer seeing single men coming to work in the United States. We are seeing families who are fleeing violence in their countries. But this idea that we need a border wall is ridiculous. We have exponentially increased the amount of funding that goes to our borders and, in fact, it is more money that we spend doing that than we do on all other federal law enforcement combined.”
Democratic consultant Symone Sanders also jumped in to say that Democratic women like Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) “know how to multi-task very well.”
Republicans need to realize that if they do not want to get the government back open, they are just hurting more American people. You want our borders to be secure, but the Department of Homeland Security is affected by the shutdown.”
By now, Santorum’s soul had left his body and he had to focus on surviving this segment without completely killing his career. He continued to try and defend Trump’s shutdown:
Look, essential services are continuing. Those people are going to work — you are right — they are not getting paid. They will eventually get paid… Now, government contractors won’t get paid and that’s a lot of people these days. They won’t get paid.”
Dingell interrupted him and said, “We shouldn’t be playing games with these people’s lives. These are public servants.”
Santorum whined, “It takes compromise!” and Dingell fired back, “We are ready!”
Clearly, it was getting to Santorum because he resorted to shouting. He said:
Debbie, everybody on the Democratic side is saying, ‘No wall funding!’ That’s not compromise.”
Dingell responded by giving him a lesson about what the real issue was — everyone wants border security, but not a useless expensive wall:
What we have said is we are for border security! I don’t know a single Democrat that is not for national security! But let’s do something that’s common sense. There are hundreds of studies that this border wall doesn’t work.”
The heated discussion continued, with more back and forth about how Trump’s wall was not an effective solution for border security. Chavez scolded Santorum, giving him a lesson about how flawed Trump’s plans were:
There are not as many people trying to get into the United States! We are down to a low in illegal immigration to the United States. This idea that putting up a wall is going to do something — what it’s going to do is invoke imminent domain, we’re going to have lots of problems in that arena. And who’s going to build that wall, by the way? Who’s going to stand in the 105 degree weather down on the Texas border? Who’s going to build it is a bunch of Mexican immigrants. That’s who’s going to build it. We are in a labor shortage right now. Employers are desperate for workers, and the president doesn’t just want to cut down illegal immigration, he wants to reduce legal immigration and that is a travesty.”
Needless to say, this is likely the last time Santorum will go live with a panel of women. You can watch this amazing clip below:
Featured image via screen capture
