Trump lashes out at Tom Steyer days after billionaire Democrat donor was targeted in bomb plot
- Steyer has donated tens of millions to support Democrats running for Congress and started a petition to see President Trump impeached.
- Earlier this week, federal authorities arrested a Florida man who is suspected of sending potentially explosive devices to vocal Trump critics including Steyer.
President Trump ridiculed billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer Sunday on Twitter just days after Steyer was targeted in a bomb plot aimed at leading Democratic figures.
Trump said in a tweet: "Just watched Wacky Tom Steyer, who I have not seen in action before, be interviewed by Jake Tapper. He comes off as a crazed & stumbling lunatic who should be running out of money pretty soon. As bad as their field is, if he is running for President, the Dems will eat him alive!"
Earlier this week, federal authorities arrested a Florida man Cesar Sayoc Jr. who is suspected of sending potentially explosive devices to vocal Trump critics and Democrats, including Tom Steyer as well as Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Maxine Waters and others.
CNN's Jake Tapper asked Tom Steyer what he thinks of Trump's response to a separate incident, a mass-shooting that killed eight men and three women at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Steyer said:
"I think his response to the tragedy was appropriate. But there's something much bigger than that going on here which is the atmosphere that he's created and that the Republican party has created in terms of political violence. If you look across the political scene what you see is routine systematic lawlessness. An attempt to break small small 'D' democratic norms in pursuit of victory at all costs. We see it in voter suppression, we see it in extreme gerrymandering, we see it in the violent political rhetoric, of course, that people have been alluding to all morning."
Asked if Trump should shoulder any of the blame for the bomb plot that affected him personally, Steyer said: "There's obviously no direct link Jake, but I'm blaming him for creating the atmosphere that exists."
One of Steyer's goals has been to see President Trump impeached. He has also urged voters to choose Democrats instead of Republicans in November. Steyer previously spent at least $41 million supporting Democrats running for Congress, and gave at least $2 million to a PAC backing Democrat Andrew Gillum's efforts to become governor of Florida. Democrats need to acquire at least 23 seats in the House in order to regain a majority.
In response to Trump's name-calling on Sunday, Steyer tweeted back: