Sen. John Barrasso Sunday refused to criticize former President Donald Trump over reports that he'd defended people who threatened violence against then-Vice President Mike Pence during the incidents at the Capitol on Jan. 6, but also said he doesn't support Trump on everything.
"I agree with [Trump] on the policies that have brought us the best economy in our, my, lifetime, and I'm going to continue to support those policies and continuing to work to stop what Joe Biden is doing to this country, which I believe is almost irreversibly bad," the Wyoming Republican said on ABC News's "This Week."
In an interview with ABC News's Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, who details his conversations in an upcoming book, "Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show," the former president said the protesters at the Capitol on Jan. 6 were "very angry."
Trump also told Karl, according to a recording played during Sunday morning's show, that "it's common sense," because "how can you, if you know a vote is fraudulent, right, how can you pass on a fraudulent vote to Congress?"
Show anchor George Stephanopoulos pressed Barrasso, asking him if the Republican Party can "tolerate a leader who defends murderous chants against his own vice president?"
Barrasso insisted the GOP is "incredibly united," pointing to the election of Republican Glenn Youngkin in Virginia.
"I was with Mike Pence in the Senate chamber during Jan. 6, and what happened was they quickly got [him] out of there, certainly a lot faster than they removed the senators," Barrasso said. "I believed he was safe the whole time. I didn't hear any of those chants. I don't believe that he did either."
He did concede that it wasn't "common sense" for the protesters to threaten Pence, before criticizing the Biden administration saying the president's policies are "almost irreversibly bad" "The American people have given this president failing grades across the board on his first-quarter report," said Barrasso.
The president is to sign the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill Monday, but Barrasso said that won't change his falling poll numbers.
According to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll released Sunday, only 31% of Americans think Biden is keeping his major campaign promises and just 35% think he's accomplished much since taking office.
However, 63% said they support the infrastructure bill and 58% support the "Build Back Better" social spending bill.
Barrasso said he voted against the infrastructure bill, as the Democrats had used "a lot of budget gimmicks" and that the measure adds $256 billion to the national debt.
According to the White House, Wyoming is to receive $1.8 billion from the infrastructure bill for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and another $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs over five years.
"The big thing is they handcuffed this infrastructure bill to this big, massive tax and spending bill," said Barrasso. "Every Republican is united in our efforts to drive a stake through the heart of this effort."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.