Democratic presidential candidates took aim at President Donald Trump for race issues and Israel during the Sunday news shows. Additionally, one presidential candidate expressed praise for a trade deal that has been a major source of criticism of the far-left.
Buttigieg on supporting Trump: "At best it means look the other way on racism"
South Bend Mayor and presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg blasted Trump supporters during an appearance on CNN, saying that supporting the president in his re-election means excusing the president's racism.
"If you look at the numbers basically what he's saying is, all right, I want you to look the other way on the racism, tolerate the negativity, accept the instability of my administration because I am going to deliver for you job growth almost as good as the Obama years," Buttigieg told CNN's Jake Tapper.
Buttigieg has tried to address his shortcomings with black voters, by releasing a Douglass Plan intended to address the impacts of racism. However, he is still plagued by issues of racial tension in his own city, and faces questions about his appeal among black voters as a candidate.
Sen. Gillibrand calls on U.S. to hold Israel accountable after Tlaib controversy
Democratic presidential candidate and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said the U.S. government has to hold Israel accountable after the country's controversial decision to disallow, then allow Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) to visit.
"I think our obligation as an ally and a friend is to hold them accountable when they're wrong," Gillibrand told ABC's Martha Raddatz.
"In this country, we believe in free speech. In this country, we don't deny people the right to participate in conversations about their views and their values. Unfortunately, Netanyahu has allowed a very conservative government to have a law that says if you support the BDS movement they can prevent you," she added.
Tlaib and fellow far-left Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) are once again under fire for sharing a cartoon from an anti-Semitic cartoonist.
In break with progressive line, Beto defends TPP
Presidential candidate Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke defended the Trans-Pacific Partnership in a departure from progressive orthodoxy during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press.
O'Rourke described the deal as a "great concept" and said that some of the particulars of the deal weren't sufficient enough. He said pushing for better labor standards in countries that America trades was an aspect of the deal that could be improved.
President Trump withdrew from the TPP as one of his first actions in office, a move that drew praise from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.). However, last year he tweeted that he would reconsider the deal under different circumstances, which produced criticism from Sanders and fellow presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.).
O'Rourke announced a major campaign reset this past week, saying in a speech that he would focus more on confronting Trump.