Roy Blunt on Trump’s Attacks on Maxine Waters, LeBron: ‘The GOP’s Not Anti-Back’

CHUCK TODD: Well, I would respectfully disagree there, particularly on this show. But I wanna ask you to respond to something else. Pete Wehner, longtime Republican speech writer, he tweeted this about the president and his constant attacks on African-American activists, including athletes like Lebron James. And he tweeted this. “Trump’s made the same criticism of black athletes, black journalists, and black members of Congress,” referring to Maxine Waters. “He attacks their intelligence. His racist appeals aren’t even disguised anymore. The closest figure in national modern politics to Trump, George Wallace. Trump now defines the G.O.P.” Are you concerned that the president is defining the G.O.P. as anti-black?

SENATOR ROY BLUNT: Well, the G.O.P.’s not anti-black. And when you look at what’s happening in the economy and lots of other places. But you know, when he says things like low-IQ about somebody like Maxine Waters who—

CHUCK TODD: It’s always with an African-American when he questions intelligence.

SENATOR ROY BLUNT: —grew up in Saint Louis and—

CHUCK TODD: That’s what makes a lot of people uncomfortable with what he’s doing.

SENATOR ROY BLUNT: I don’t think always. I mean, look at what he said about his various opponents in the Republican primary.

CHUCK TODD: Yeah.

SENATOR ROY BLUNT: It’s not always. But I think you’ve gotta be more careful in our society about what you say about people that are different than you. And, you know, a lot of things, for instance, you could say about Maxine Waters. But to indicate she’s not a bright person is not one of them. She is very smart. And very calculating. And grew up in Saint Louis, Missouri. So, I served with her in the House. Usually—

CHUCK TODD: Sounds like you embrace her, though, as a proud daughter of Saint Louis.

SENATOR ROY BLUNT: I embrace her as a person who has given a lot of time to public service and has a different viewpoint that I do, but it’s not a viewpoint that’s not based on her factual view of the world.