Sen. Jeff Flake on Monday rebuked President Donald Trump's characterization of Democrats who did not applaud at his State of the Union speech as "un-American" and "treasonous."
"You don't have to always agree with those on the other side of the aisle, but all members of Congress love their country, and none are treasonous," Flake tweeted.
Later on the Senate floor, Flake said the president's remarks were "not normal."
"One who levels such a charge knows neither the meaning of treason nor the power that the words of a president carry. ... Our silence will also mark the day that we failed to recognize that this conduct in an American president is simply not normal," Flake said.
The White House defended Trump's remarks, saying the president was being, "tongue in cheek," but Flake said "treason is not a punch line."
He added that our "Democratic colleagues love this country as much as we do. To suggest otherwise is simply unconscionable."
Earlier Monday, Trump tossed out the condemnation while recounting how well his speech went over on the Republican side of the aisle.
"You're up there and you have half the room going totally crazy wild," Trump said. "They loved everything, they want to do something great for our country. And you have the other side, even on positive news, really positive news like that, they were like death. And un-American, un-American."
"Somebody said treasonous – I mean, yeah, I guess why not," he added. "Can we call that treason? Why not. They certainly didn't seem to love our country very much."
Flake, who announced last year he wouldn't run for re-election in 2018, has been a frequent critic of the president.
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