Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin criticized Republicans for their support of presidential nominee Donald Trump and their unwillingness to vote on President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court pick during a stop in Madison on Tuesday.
Baldwin said she believes Trump was bragging about committing sexual assault in a video released late last week.
“It made me recognize even more how dangerous a man he is,” Baldwin said. “Words matter, and it appeared to me that he was bragging about sexual assault. This is not the type of leader we can have as president.”
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Trump was scheduled to make a campaign appearance Saturday in Wisconsin with U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan before his invitation was withdrawn. But Baldwin believes that wasn’t enough.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin speaks Tuesday in Madison. Laurel White/WPR
“I don’t believe that uninviting Donald Trump to a picnic on Saturday or scolding him is sufficient,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin said Wisconsin Republicans should revoke their support of the GOP nominee. Ryan said Monday he would no longer defend Trump or campaign with him, but he and other prominent state Republicans continue to endorse him.
The Democratic senator also continued to hammer U.S. Senate Republicans for failing to hold a hearing on President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland.
In her remarks, given at a meeting of the left-leaning American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, Baldwin said the Supreme Court vacancy threatens the integrity of government and has created a “crisis.”
“To ignore this nomination is wrong and deeply irresponsible,” Baldwin said. “It is disrespectful to our Constitution, it is disrespectful to our president, it is disrespectful to this very qualified nominee, and it is disrespectful to the American people.”
Obama nominated Garland in March.
Republicans have said they are respecting the will of the people by waiting to confirm a justice appointed by the next president.
Baldwin also spoke about a longstanding vacancy on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. Obama nominated Madison lawyer Donald Schott to the vacancy, which is more than six years old, in January.
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