Jennifer Rubin, a proud Never Trumper and self-described “conservative,” proclaimed Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) a “Trump-enabler” in her opinion piece for the Washington Post this week. That was tame compared to her comments about President Trump, himself. The long time Post columnist strafed the president and fellow Republican Portman, writing, “The lawless, xenophobic, racist know-nothingism that has gripped the party and deformed our government must be ousted. That includes repudiating the go-alongers, the Portmans, who have normalized Trump and failed to uphold their oaths.”
The lawless, xenophobic, racist know-nothingism that has gripped the party and deformed our government must be ousted. That includes repudiating the go-alongers, the Portmans, who have normalized Trump and failed to uphold their oaths
https://t.co/kimZXLE6xh— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) October 30, 2019
Rubin doled out some bits of her commentary on Twitter. “For such small and ordinary crumbs, Portman has given Trump a pass on grotesque self-dealing, stonewalling Congress, obstruction of the special counsel’s investigation and extortion of Ukraine for his partisan ends,” for example.
For such small and ordinary crumbs, Portman has given Trump a pass on grotesque self-dealing, stonewalling Congress, obstruction of the special counsel’s investigation and extortion of Ukraine for his partisan ends.
https://t.co/kimZXLE6xh— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) October 30, 2019
“You would think, by this time, Portman would feel free to follow his conscience, consequences be damned. He does not need his position, and in any case is not on the ballot until 2022. Yet he operates seemingly in perpetual fear of triggering Trump’s ire,” she added.
You would think, by this time, Portman would feel free to follow his conscience, consequences be damned. He does not need his position, and in any case is not on the ballot until 2022. Yet he operates seemingly in perpetual fear of triggering Trump’s irehttps://t.co/kimZXLE6xh
— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) October 30, 2019
Rubin has earned the “ire” of several conservative groups for her call to, “…burn down the Republican Party” and comments such as, “These people are not fit for polite society.”
Larry Elder, an African-American conservative who supports President Trump, responded to a Fox News question about Rubin being considered a “conservative” columnist for the Washington Post. “Well that’s why they hire her. They hire these columnists who purport to be conservatives, they purport to be Republicans and they dump on the Republican Party and they dump on Trump…They hire these guys that purport to be Republicans when in fact all they are doing is trashing the Republican Party – that’s why they got these gigs.”
Last December a Federalist reporter caught up with Rubin following an event and asked her if she still considered herself a conservative. She responded, “Yes, but I think the rest of the party has gone insane.” However the follow-up question, asking which conservative principles Rubin espouses, received a terse response that she, “had to run.”
For his part, Portman has been critical of President, but also worked with him. While Rubin accuses of Portman of failing to “follow his conscience” and accepting only “small and ordinary crumbs” from the President, Sen. Portman celebrated the one year anniversary of the Support Act this week.
“Earlier this week I had to opportunity to join @FLOTUS at an opioid roundtable to mark the year anniversary of @POTUS signing the #SUPPORTAct into law which included several of my bipartisan bills, including the #STOPAct.”
Earlier this week I had to opportunity to join @FLOTUS at an opioid roundtable to mark the year anniversary of @POTUS signing the #SUPPORTAct into law which included several of my bipartisan bills, including the #STOPAct. pic.twitter.com/gsJP2EWSFj
— Rob Portman (@senrobportman) October 26, 2019
Fighting the opioid epidemic, which is especially tragic in Ohio, is likely seen as significant work to the many Ohio families who have suffered the effects of this addiction. The Ohio Department of Health data revealed the death rate of “accidental drug poisonings” rose 1081% from 2000 to 2017, driven largely by the opioid epidemic that President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and Senator Rob Portman are working to stop.
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Beth Lear is a reporter at The Ohio Star. Follow Beth on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
