Warner urges voters to back Dems to serve as check on Trump

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said Sunday that voters should back Democrats in this week’s midterm elections to serve as a check on President Trump.

“What I think people are concerned about is they’re concerned about this president that, frankly, even if you agree the economy is going well, we need to have some level of check on him,” Warner said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

“Rule of law and, frankly, America’s standing in the world is being undermined,” he added.

{mosads}Warner, who is not up for reelection this year, conceded that the economy is in good shape, but said Trump’s actions in the last few weeks alone have illustrated the need to have lawmakers willing to push back against him.

The senator cited Trump’s handling of a spate of bomb threats against prominent Democrats and a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue, as well as the president’s desire to end birthright citizenship with an executive order.

Numerous lawmakers and legal experts have pushed back against the latter proposal, noting that birthright citizenship is enshrined under the 14th Amendment and cannot be undone via executive order.

“People need to get out and vote if they are concerned about what’s going on in Washington, if they are concerned about a president that doesn’t act very presidential when we see moments of crisis over the last few weeks, they need to have their votes counted,” Warner said.

Democrats need to pick up 23 seats in the House to regain the majority there, and must gain two seats in the Senate to retake the majority in the upper chamber.