A former Biden administration official Monday commented that President Donald Trump is getting distracted from focusing on the economy — what people actually care about — and instead has pointed fingers at Democrats who are actively fighting back against him.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon on Monday threatened to court-martial Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) after Trump accused Democratic senators of "treason" over the video last week featuring lawmakers with military and intelligence backgrounds telling military members to remember to disobey unlawful orders.
Trump's reaction revealed a weak spot in the administration, and the president fell for the move, Kate Bedingfield, former White House communications director, told CNN
"I think it's important to remember, too, that Donald Trump's abuse, inappropriate use of the military, is unpopular," Bedingfield said. "If people are asked whether they think his use of the National Guard was appropriate, even those who say that they like what he's done to close down the border, will still say that it's an inappropriate use of the military.
As Democrats stand up to him, he's now fallen for it.
"So in many ways it strikes me that Donald Trump has given them exactly the response that they were looking for," she added. "His response is outrageous, it's over the top, it's continuing to drive the sense that he is, in fact, using the military inappropriately. And, it is preventing him from talking about the economy, which is what he needs to be doing. So in that way, I think he's taken their bait."