ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd tweeted Wednesday that Donald Trump and those who support him were doing more damage to the United States than the terrorist group ISIS.
"When people repeat lie after lie after lie to further their political agenda or to protect people they want in power, then they do incredible damage to our Republic," he tweeted. "More damage than ISIS has ever done to America."
When people repeat lie after lie after lie to further their political agenda or to protect people they want in power, then they do incredible damage to our Republic. More damage than ISIS has ever done to America.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) April 12, 2018
Dowd was intentionally vague in his original tweet about who he was referring to, but in his responses to critics, he made it clear his critique was of the Trump administration and its backers.
Seriously??? Look at the lies that are being told today on an hourly basis. It doesn’t compare to any politician or administration in the past. Profoundly bad for our democracy. Surprised you can’t see that.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) April 12, 2018
Jeffrey, the fact that you can’t distinguish between these two administrations as regards integrity and honesty is astounding. This administration and this President have lied more in one year than all the Presidents in the last 50years combined.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) April 12, 2018
Didn’t say it did excuse it. But comparing somebody who wrote graffiti on a building to someone who knocked the entire building down isn’t helpful.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) April 12, 2018
Dowd was a strategist for the 2004 George W. Bush presidential campaign but has since emerged as a regular critic of Republicans. Following the 2016 election, he issued a mea culpa apologizing for the "arrogant, close-minded, judgmental, and sometimes mean-spirited way" he attacked those who thought Trump might win.