A Republican senator uncorked a searing takedown of President Donald Trump on Sunday, which stunned some political analysts.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) discussed Trump's recent taxpayer-funded ads on "Face the Nation" with Margaret Brennan. Brennan compared it to the $220 million in advertising spending former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spent promoting herself, which Kennedy sharply criticized.
"Is that the best use of taxpayer money?" Brennan asked.
Kennedy lobbed a searing takedown at the president during his response.
"I don't think any public official, including President Trump, Kristi Noem or John Kennedy should spend public money on private ads for themselves," Kennedy said. "Now, the White House sees it differently. But there ought to be a rule ... that you can't spend public money to promote yourself."
Kennedy's sharp response stunned some political analysts, who shared their reactions on social media.
"I wonder if there's a place, a gathering of people, where democracies write such rules. A grouping, maybe even a congress of people," Tom Nichols, a staff writer at The Atlantic, posted on X.
"They are running for the exits," Neera Tanden, CEO of the Center for American Progress, posted on X.
"Oooooh, the cracks in the wall are growing," Charlotte Clymer, a writer and political commentator, posted on X.
"There’s gonna be a lot more of this soon. A veritable deluge," Liz Mair, a political communications expert, posted on X.