Trump mocks Al Franken’s Senate resignation over sexual misconduct claims

‘That guy was wacky. Boy, did he fold up like a wet rag,’ Trump tells a rally in Rochester, Minnesota

By JTA 5 October 2018, 7:10 pm 1 Edit

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) looks at his wife Franni Bryson, before walking to the Senate chamber to announce his resignation on December 7, 2017 on Capitol Hill. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images/AFP)

US President Donald Trump mocked former Senator Al Franken for resigning quickly from office when faced with a sexual misconduct allegation.

“That guy was wacky. Boy, did he fold up like a wet rag,” Trump told a rally Thursday night in Rochester, Minnesota, the state Franken represented, to cheers.

“Man, he was gone so fast,” The New York Post quoted Trump as saying.

Franken, who is Jewish, resigned in December at the height of what became to be known as the #MeToo reckoning in which many women, including celebrities, spoke out about alleged abuses. Several women accused Franken of groping or forcibly kissing them when he was a comedian.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a “Make America Great Again” rally at Landers Center in Southaven, Mississippi, on October 2, 2018. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP)

Trump has denied more than a dozen claims of sexual harassment against him and has stood by his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who has aggressively fought back against sexual misconduct allegations. Trump made fun of Franken’s choice to step down rather than defend himself from charges he groped women.

“It was like, ‘Oh he did something.’ ‘Oh, oh, oh, I resign. I quit. I quit,” Trump said, imitating the Democratic lawmaker. “Wow. He was gone and he was replaced by somebody that nobody ever heard of.”

Lt. Gov. Tina Smith was appointed by Minnesota’s governor to succeed Franken. She faces Republican Karin Housely in November.