Senate Republican shredded for praising Trump's ethics: 'Is he new to our planet?'
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Michigan, U.S., July 27, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci

Critics were stunned Thursday after a Republican lawmaker praised President Donald Trump for his commitment to ethics.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) told Fox News that Trump had made an unprecedented move by following ethical standards, despite mounting reports that the president has collected an estimated $2.2 billion during the first year of his second term in office.

"President Trump has done something no other president in the history of our country said yes to, which is complying [with] the ethics strategy and standard for all elected officials," Scott said. "We've never had a president ever say yes to that issue, that question."

On social media, media and political experts pushed back on Scott's claims, which were captured and shared by journalist Aaron Rupar.

S.V. Dáte, White House correspondent for HuffPost, questioned Scott's remarks.

"Is he new to our planet?" Dáte wrote on X.

Trump critic and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-AZ) called the GOP senator out.

"The lies are beyond ridiculous now," Kinzinger wrote on X. "He of course exempts himself,

Rick Petree, managing director at Global Power Partners, made a suggestion.

"More people are saying totally dumb things than ever before, but some of those people need mental health interventions more urgently than others," Petree wrote on X.

YouTuber Jessiah, host of Pondering Politics, had a simple reaction and shared a stunned Elmo GIF on X.

Rabbi Jill Zimmerman, a progressive political commentator with more than 50,000 followers, responded on Bluesky with a digital double-take: "Wait, what?"