Eldridge: Trump ‘disturbing’, Boozman ‘silent’
by July 27, 2016 5:07 pm 125 views
A comment by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump either seriously or jokingly encouraging Russia to find emails from Hillary Clinton is part of a “disturbing pattern,” the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate said Wednesday.
During a press conference Wednesday, Trump looked into the camera and said, “It would be interesting to see, I will tell you this, Russia, if you’re listening I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.”
The missing emails to which Trump was referring were those on Clinton’s private e-mail server that her lawyers destroyed rather than provide to the State Department. The attorneys said they were personal.
Some believe Russia was responsible for the recent hacking of Democratic National Committee emails. The Clinton campaign accused Trump of encouraging espionage by a foreign government.
Conner Eldridge, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, criticized the remark, saying, “It’s not a time for standup comedy or acting. This man’s running for president of the United States. He’s a major party nominee, and were he to win, he would be responsible for foreign policy, and this is the latest in a disturbing pattern of comments that indicate he doesn’t really weigh his words as you need to when you’re conducting foreign policy for the United States.”
Eldridge said other instances of the pattern have included Trump’s comments about Saddam Hussein being effective dealing with terrorists and Japan obtaining nuclear weapons.
A spokesman for U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan criticized the remarks in an interview with The Guardian. Eldridge said his opponent, U.S. Sen. John Boozman, should as well.
“Where is he?” Eldridge said. “He’s silent on this and virtually every issue. … That’s a strong contrast to someone like Paul Ryan who is doing the right thing here in calling Trump out, as Paul Ryan has done from the beginning.”
Boozman’s office said the senator had been meeting with National Guard and Air Force personnel Wednesday and couldn’t be reached for comment.
The governor’s spokesman, J.R. Davis, said, “The governor’s said time and time again that there will be issues that he and Donald Trump do not agree on, and he will voice those disagreements when they do happen.”
Rep. Bruce Westerman offered comment. He said, “Just as President Obama should not have involved himself or the American government in elections in the United Kingdom and Israel, foreign governments and non-citizens should refrain from any involvement in American elections.”
Talk Business & Politics has sought additional comment from several elected officials and will update this story.