'You're chuckling, congressman': CNN host tees up Dem to perform severe Trump putdown

CNN's Audie Cornish noticed a Democratic congressman's reaction to President Donald Trump floating a proposal to send out dividend checks funded by tariff revenues — and her comment teed up an unflattering comparison.

The president told reporters Monday that Americans might expect to see $2,000 dividend checks "next year sometime," although economists have expressed skepticism about nearly every aspect of the proposal and warned the payments would likely spike inflation again. Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) laughed as video of Trump's remarks played on "CNN This Morning."

"You're just putting your head down and chuckling," Cornish noted. "What are you doing, congressman? We've got to talk."

"Listening to thepresident is a little bit likebeing at the corner bar, andthere's a guy in the end in thecorner stool who's had toomany just keeps spouting offcrazy ideas," Morrelle replied. "That feels like thepresident of the United Statesthese days."

Cornish expressed doubts about his characterization, saying the President Joe Biden had also sent out financial relief checks, but Morelle said the circumstances were different.

"Yes, we did it during themiddle of a pandemic when wewere trying desperately to dealwith the impacts of the virus,health care, the impacts on theeconomy," Morelle said. "This is, I think, inpart, [Trump admitting], 'Look, I have a problem, mytariffs, by the way, are mostlikely unconstitutional, so letme spend the money before I'mrequired to rebate them back tothe people who deserve the moneyback,' which is the Americanconsumer that's paying more andmore for tariffs that areunconstitutional.

"It, I mean,none of this makes sense becausethe truth is, and I think peopleknow this for the most corruptadministration in Americanhistory, here's a guy who hasno theory of governance, notheory of anything. Let's just, 'Okay, I woke up and I had anidea this morning.'"

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