Politics: 'Beneath the office': Top Republicans denounce Trump after he tweets about Mika Brzezinski 'bleeding badly from a face-lift'

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Trump's tweet 'represents what is wrong with American politics.'

Top Republican lawmakers on Thursday denounced President Donald Trump's attack on "Morning Joe" host Mika Brzezinski, who he tweeted was "bleeding badly from a face-lift" during a recent trip to his Mar-a-Lago estate.

"Obviously I don't see that as an appropriate comment," House Speaker Paul Ryan said. "We're trying to improve the tone and civility of this debate, and that isn't helping."

Earlier Thursday, Trump lobbed an extraordinarily personal attack at Brzezinski, the cohost of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," as well as Joe Scarborough, a fellow cohost and Brzezinski's soon-to-be husband.

"I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me," Trump tweeted. "She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!"

While the White House defended his comment, Republicans were swift to denounce the rhetoric that emerged from the nation's commander in chief. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said Trump's tweet "represents what is wrong with American politics."

"Mr. President, your tweet was beneath the office and represents what is wrong with American politics, not the greatness of America," Graham tweeted.

"Please just stop. This isn't normal and it's beneath the dignity of your office," Sen. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican, tweeted.

"This has to stop – we all have a job – 3 branches of gov't and media. We don’t have to get along, but we must show respect and civility," Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, tweeted.

Sen. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, echoed his colleagues with his own scathing statement, saying Trump's tweets "don't help our political and national discourse."

"National and local leaders should model civility, honor, and respect in our political rhetoric," Lankford said. "The President's tweets today don't help our political or national discourse and it does not provide a positive role model for our national discourse."

Rep. Lynne Jenkins, a Kansas Republican, said Trump's tweet was "not okay."

"This is not okay. As a female in politics I am often criticized for my looks. We should be working to empower women," Jenkins said.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the deputy White House press secretary, said on Fox News on Thursday morning that Trump is a president "who fights fire with fire."

"I've seen far worse things come out of that show," Sanders said, referring to MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "Again, directed not just at the president but at everyone around him."

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Trump's tweet 'represents what is wrong with American politics.' Read Full Story