Sen. Murphy: DNI Pick Ratcliffe a 'Television Character'

Sen. Chris Murphy Monday dismissed Rep. John Ratcliffe, who President Donald Trump has named as his choice for director of national intelligence, by calling the Texas Republican a "television character" who will agree with the president while he plays politics with information, and he predicted a great deal of "hand-to-hand combat" will take place over his confirmation.

Murphy also told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that he's decided to unfollow the president's fiery Twitter account, as he's "had enough" of what he posts.

"I don't know this guy," the Connecticut Democrat said of Ratcliffe. "I think he's a television character that the president has watched on TV, and he wants to put somebody in this position who's going to agree with his political take on intelligence."

However, Murphy said Republicans are already uncomfortable about the things the president has said over the past few weeks, and Ratcliffe won't be able to escape that.

Regarding Trump's use of Twitter, Murphy said he's tired of starting his days "with this kind of racist, hateful, demeaning negativity. Sometimes I get trapped by reading the president's Twitter feed and trying to immediately respond to it. I don't want to be in that circle anymore."

He added that he thinks his Republican colleagues in the Senate don't challenge Trump because they're afraid of him.

"They don't want to lose a primary and they tell us, well you'd be better off with us in the Senate in the long run rather than a bunch of Trump clones who get elected in primaries," said Murphy. Other Republicans are saying they're trying to work with the president, and if they take him on, "politically it will be worse than it is today."

Murphy added he does not think one can make the case that matters couldn't get worse, because Trump is "literally setting this country on fire."

• Rep. Ratcliffe: Dems Paid 'Heavy Price' by 'Dragging In' Mueller
• Schumer: Trump Picked Ratcliffe for His 'Blind Loyalty'