Former President Donald Trump regrets endorsing Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.).
“He’s bad news, Ben Sasse. He begged for my endorsement, the day after he started hitting me and we hit much harder than he knows how to hit. He’s bad news,” Trump said during a telerally for Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster (R), as The Hill reported.
He added, “Should have never given him the endorsement. He was horrible at the beginning. And then he was so good … and then the following day, literally, he started hitting back.”
In September of 2019, Trump endorsed Sasse, saying he “has done a wonderful job representing the people of Nebraska.”
Trump continued, “He is great with our Vets, the Military, and your very important Second Amendment. Strong on Crime and the Border, Ben has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”
Sasse would later go on to vote to convict Trump after the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“In my first speech here in the Senate in November 2015, I promised to speak out when a president — even of my own party — exceeds his or her powers,” he said in a statement.
The senator added, “I cannot go back on my word, and Congress cannot lower our standards on such a grave matter, simply because it is politically convenient. I must vote to convict.”
Mentioning Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, Sasse explained, “Those lies had consequences, endangering the life of the vice president and bringing us dangerously close to a bloody constitutional crisis. Each of these actions are violations of a president’s oath of office.”
NPR noted Sasse won reelection in 2020 garnering almost 27,000 more votes than the former president.
During a telephone town-hall meeting with constituents in October 2020, Sasse tore into Trump over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, treatment of women and relationships with dictators.
“The way he kisses dictators’ butts, I mean, the way he ignores that the Uighurs are in literal concentration camps in Xinjiang right now. He hasn’t lifted a finger on behalf of the Hong-Kongers,” Sasse said.
Additionally, Sasse claimed Trump has “flirted with white supremacists.”
