MINNEAPOLIS – Democratic Senate candidate Richard Painter raised some eyebrows Wednesday when he asked on Twitter “what was the point” of the American Revolution.
Painter, who is a law professor at the University of Minnesota, suggests the American Revolution was pointless now that President Donald Trump is in office. Painter cites the United States’ lack of a single payer health care system and free college tuition as reasons the Founding Fathers should have never broke free from England.
Painter also took a swipe at the president, claiming he is “guilty of treason, bribery and other crimes.”
What was the point of the Revolution if subjects of the British Crown get single payer health care and university education at a fraction of what it costs us and we are stuck with a President guilty of treason, bribery and other crimes, and a Congress unwilling to get rid of him?
— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) May 16, 2018
In a follow-up tweet Thursday morning, Painter appears to answer his own question, saying the point of the American Revolution lies in the Constitution. Painter emphasizes the Constitutional limits on presidential power, particularly the impeachment clause. Painter warns of “peril” for ignoring these provisions.
The point of the Revolution is set forth in a document, the CONSTITUTION, which includes free exercise of religion (yes, for Muslims), freedom of the press, a ban on foreign payoffs (emoluments), limits on presidential power and the IMPEACHMENT clause. We ignore it at our peril. https://t.co/A0XI1u5IUU
— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) May 17, 2018
Painter has made impeaching Trump a primary tenet of his campaign, drawing the attention of far-left Democrats across the country including Rosie O’Donnell. O’Donnell was quick to endorse Painter, asking on Twitter how she could “max out” her donations to Painter. She followed up by tweeting out Painter’s website saying she “contributed to the fight for our democracy” and encouraged her 1.1 million Twitter followers to do the same.
While Painter’s original tweet earned over 12,000 “likes” and over 4,100 retweets, some Twitter users were quick to slam the Senate candidate.
“Candidate for Senate.” Running on a platform of we should’ve let the British win the American revolution. Gotta say, that’s a bold strategy.
— MattisonBrooks (@MattisonBrooks) May 16, 2018
The Revolution was for freedom. Not free stuff. That’s all for today’s history lesson.
— J (@aggie1944) May 16, 2018
What crimes? Where’s your proof of treason? The point of the revolution was to free ourselves from an imperial power and allow citizens of the US the ability to govern themselves. Feel free to move to Britain if you want those things.
— Tyler Ness (@tylerjness) May 16, 2018
When liberty needs to be explained, it is generally already a lost cause.
— sir_mycroft (@sir_mycroft) May 16, 2018
Painter is hoping to fill former Sen. Al Franken’s seat. Before Painter will be on the ballot in November he will have to face Sen. Tina Smith, Gov. Mark Dayton’s temporary replacement for Franken. Painter will face off against Smith in the party primary in August.
