Congress responds as Trump's attack on TV co-host distracts from health care, other business

As the U.S. Senate looked to a day of negotiating on health care legislation Thursday, President Donald Trump at 8:52 a.m. began unleashing tweets attacking the IQ, mental stability and physical appearance of MSNBC "Morning Joe" co-host Mika Brzezinski. 

White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended the president's behavior in a Thursday afternoon press briefing, saying "the American people elected a fighter," and that's what they got. 

But Republicans and Democrats criticized the president for his tweets -- shocking even for Mr. Trump's Twitter account -- as the Senate struggles to propose a passable bill on health care. Mr. Trump met Wednesday with senators earlier this week as he attempts to negotiate the bill, and Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday met one-on-one with senators on Capitol Hill. 

The tweets also detracted from the White House's designated policy focus of the week -- energy -- and two bills expected to pass in the House Thursday to crack down on immigrants who commit crimes and attempt to re-enter the country illegally, and on "sanctuary cities" refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Mr. Trump made stricter stances on immigration -- a theme drowned out by his tweets Thursday -- a central message of his campaign. 

Both Republicans and Democrats criticized the president Thursday. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), who told CBS News' "Face the Nation" last month that the president is "his own worst enemy" with counterproductive tweets, said Mr. Trump behaved "beneath the office."

Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski told Mr. Trump to, "Stop it!"

Rep. Lynn Jenkins, a Kansas Republican, said the president's Twitter outburst was, "not OK."

Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Florida) pointed out that the shooting at a congressional baseball practice -- after which Mr. Trump himself urged unity -- was just two weeks ago. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) is still in the hospital after he was seriously injured by a shot to the hip.  

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) urged "respect" and "civility."

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colorado) used the hashtag, "StopTheTwitterTantrums." 

Democrats were even more blunt. 

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) called Mr. Trump's tweets, "so blatantly sexist I don't even know that there's any question about it."

"I just don't know why the Republicans, they can tolerate almost anything: a candidate beating up a reporter and then cheering him on as he arrives in Congress, the tweets of the president of the United States," Pelosi added, referring to Montana Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte's assault on a reporter the night before he was elected to Congress. 

Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Florida), in a press conference with more than two dozen Democratic members of Congress, called Mr. Trump the "cyber bully in chief."

"And once again, he is ... embarrassing our nation with what I call his bloody tweets," Frankel said. 

Other Democrats pointed out that Mr. Trump is hurting legislative progress. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), called the president's attacks on the media a "constant distraction."

Rep. David Cicilline (D-Rhode Island) asked anyone to tell him how the president's tweets help "create jobs" or "make health care better," issues Mr. Trump has said are among his top priorities. 

Mr. Trump didn't stop criticizing the media Thursday. As the House and Senate wrapped up their legislative business before the July 4 holiday, Mr. Trump, at a Department of Energy event with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Energy Rick Perry Thursday afternoon, repeated his frequent line that CNN is "fake news."

• Nancy Pelosi
• Donald Trump
• Lindsey Graham