Appearing as a guest on Thursday's All In with Chris Hayes, Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin declared that Republicans who have defended President Donald Trump "have really betrayed their country." She went on to similarly assert that Republicans in Congress "seriously are doing a grave injustice to the country."
During a discussion of Michael Wolff's book, Fire and Fury , alleging that many who work in the White House believe President Trump is unfit for the office, substitute host Joy Reid alluded to Republicans in Congress who have made similar claims privately, and then posed: "Did it surprise you in any way to find out that same dynamic was in place in the staff in the White House, and even his own family?"
The Post columnist began by taking aim at Republicans:
Well, I think what my major takeaway was, is that people have really betrayed their county. They know the person sitting with the nuclear codes with his finger literally on the button -- as he keeps telling us -- is unfit for the presidency, that he's mentally unfit, temperamentally unfit, and yet they kind of prop him up and push him out there and pretend that everything is okay -- and everything is not okay.
Rubin was identified on screen as a "conservative columnist" in spite of her history of hitting issues from the left during her frequent appearances on MSNBC. She has pushed for more gun control, supported DACA, and defended Planned Parenthood.
She has even cheered on the "dying off" of "social conservatives," and hit Democrats from the left in complaining that some criticized former President Bill Clinton over his history of sex scandals.
She went on to recall that White House staff and members of Congress take an oath to the U.S., and then suggested that it would be difficult for Wolff's sources to deny what they have stated about Trump because the liberal author recorded their conversations. She then accused Republicans of "doing a grave injustice" as she concluded:
He is not functioning as the President of the United States. Frankly, if he ever gets indicted, he'll have insanity as a defense, I suppose, from a criminal charge, but it's hardly, you know, this is a serious matter, and I think members of Congress who have failed to take this seriously are doing a grave injustice to the country.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Thursday, January 4, All In with Chris Hayes on MSNBC:
JOY REID: You and I have talked a lot on TV about the fact that on Capitol Hill Republicans know -- they leak to reporters -- Republicans will tell all of us on background how much they are disturbed by Donald Trump's behavior, by his comportment, by his lack of fitness for office. But they all go on and defend him to the nth degree when they are in public. Did it surprise you in any way to find out that same dynamic was in place in the staff in the White House, and even in his own family?
JENNIFER RUBIN, WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST: Well, I think what my major takeaway was, is that people have really betrayed their county. They know the person sitting with the nuclear codes with his finger literally on the button -- as he keeps telling us -- is unfit for the presidency, that he's mentally unfit, temperamentally unfit, and yet they kind of prop him up and push him out there and pretend that everything is okay -- and everything is not okay.
This extends to General Kelly who -- all of these people actually take an oath to the United States. It includes all the White House staff and frankly members of Congress. And, you know, it's very interesting, Joy, is that, as to the particulars, we haven't heard a specific denial from the White House, nor have we heard a denial from Reince Priebus or any of the other characters because: What are they going to say?
First of all, we're told Michael Wolff has tapes, and, secondly, there is such abundance of information. And this, I think, gets back to the original sin, if you will, of the Republican party, which was pretending that this man was ever fit to be President, and then, once he got there, pretending as if everything was going okay. He is not functioning as the President of the United States. Frankly, if he ever gets indicted, he'll have insanity as a defense, I suppose, from a criminal charge, but it's hardly, you know,
