Schumer: ‘America Cannot Afford a Twitter Presidency’ — Dems Will Hold Trump Accountable

Tuesday on the U.S. Senate floor, the Senate minority leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) while addressing President-elect Donlad Trump said “We Democrats will hold you accountable” because “America cannot afford a Twitter presidency.”

Partial transcript as follows:

Campaign themes are quickly being abandoned. He said he was going to un-rig the system. So far it still looks rigged. Too many of his cabinet picks support the same hard right doctrinaire positions that many in the Republican party have held for years. Policies the American people repeatedly rejected. If President-elect Trump lets the hard right members of congress and his cabinet run the show, if he attempts to adopt their time-worn policies, which benefit the elites, the special interests, corporate America, not the working man and woman, his presidency will not succeed. Maybe not in the first 90 days, but certainly in the first two years. Unfortunately that seems to be the path he is following throughout the transition.

So Mr. President-elect, if there’s one part of my speech that I hope you listen to and take to heart, it’s this one, and I mean it with the best of intentions, if you abandon change and simply embrace the sharp-worn hard right pro-corporate, pro-elite policies diametrically apposed to the many campaign themes that helped you win working class votes and get you elected your presidency will not succeed. We Democrats will hold you accountable to the working people of America not the conservative ideologues in Washington who seem to have great number in your cabinet. We will hold your feet to the fire every time you abandon your pledge and work instead as an ally of the hard right.

So Mr. President, the issues facing this country are many. We have a lot of work to do, creating jobs, raising incomes, making college and health care affordable, rebuilding our infrastructure, making trade laws work for the American worker, keeping Americans safe from threats, violence and terrorism, taking care of our vets. Now each one takes serious thought and action. these issues are too important for mere words. Our challenge is too entrenched for mere tweeting. Making America great again requires more than 140 characters perish issue. With all due respect, America cannot afford a Twitter presidency.

We have real challenges and we have real needs to get things done, and many Americans are afraid, Mr. President-elect, that instead of rolling up your sleeves and forging serious policies, for you, Twitter suffices. There’s nothing wrong with using Twitter to speak to the American people, it’s a good use of modern media, but these issues are complex and demand both careful consideration and action. We cannot tweet them away.

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN