Former Attorney General Eric Holder has some strong words for President Donald Trump.
Scattered within a series of tweets acknowledging the anniversary of 9/11, Trump decided to take a stab at Holder on Tuesday, quoting Fox News host Lou Dobbs: “ERIC Holder could be running the Justice Department right now and it would be behaving no differently than it is.” He provided no additional context.
But Holder saw it as an inappropriate affront, quickly responding to the president on Twitter, writing, “This is not a day for the usual unhinged Trump politics.”
Rather, Holder suggested that it is a day “to remember the innocent Americans we lost and the brave first responders who gave their lives. They’re the best of America and we should honor their sacrifice.”
“ERIC Holder could be running the Justice Department right now and it would be behaving no differently than it is.” @LouDobbs
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2018
This is not a day for the usual unhinged Trump politics. This is a day to remember the innocent Americans we lost and the brave first responders who gave their lives. They’re the best of America and we should honor their sacrifice. Https://t.co/vxBP2oZX5e
— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) September 11, 2018
Holder also sought to defend his record as Attorney General, adding in a second tweet, “Really?! My DOJ would and did care. And continue to fight for protections for voting rights, health care, climate, LGBTQ rights, gun safety measures, criminal justice reform. Would stand up to Congressional hacks and for the career people at DOJ. Are you and Crazy Louie nuts? TFA”
Really?! My DOJ would and did care. And continue to fight for protections for voting rights, health care, climate, LGBTQ rights, gun safety measures, criminal justice reform. Would stand up to Congressional hacks and for the career people at DOJ. Are you and Crazy Louie nuts? TFA https://t.co/vxBP2oZX5e
— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) September 11, 2018
TFA reportedly refers to the 25th Amendment, which deals with issues related to presidential succession. Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman told MSNBC on Sunday that White House staffers would use the hashtag #TFA when Trump did something “insane” or “unhinged.”
Meanwhile, other leaders and former leaders, including former President Barack Obama, chose to commemorate the tragic event less politically. On Twitter, Obama wrote that “We will always remember everyone we lost on 9/11, thank the first responders who keep us safe, and honor all who defend our country and the ideals that bind us together.”
“There’s nothing our resilience and resolve can’t overcome, and no act of terror can ever change who we are,” he added.
We will always remember everyone we lost on 9/11, thank the first responders who keep us safe, and honor all who defend our country and the ideals that bind us together. There's nothing our resilience and resolve can’t overcome, and no act of terror can ever change who we are.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 11, 2018