August 19, 2017
Pat Toomey didn't approve of Donald Trump's recently sacked chief strategist, and he apparently didn't think much of The Mooch, either.
But it was clear by Saturday afternoon that dozens of people who responded to Toomey's social media posts on the firings of Steve Bannon and Anthony Scaramucci thought he should've spoken up sooner.
"First Scaramucci, now Bannon," the Republican U.S. senator for Pennsylvania wrote on Twitter and Facebook Friday night. "Two great personnel decisions by John Kelly."
First Scaramucci, now Bannon. Two great personnel decisions by John Kelly.
— Senator Pat Toomey (@SenToomey) August 19, 2017
The tweet followed Bannon's removal as President Trump's chief strategist earlier in the day. His ouster comes less than three weeks after Trump fired Anthony Scaramucci, who had been on the job for 11 days.
By Friday night, Bannon had already returned to his role as editor of the far-right news site Breitbart.
Toomey has no say on personnel decisions within Trump's administration. His director of communications, Kasia Mulligan, noted on Saturday that the senator has criticized Trump's White House in public. He told the New York Times in May that "serious changes" were needed within the administration, although he did not mention Bannon or any other individual working under Trump at the time.
But since Toomey's brief statement Friday night, many on social media criticized the senator for not denouncing Bannon's place in the White House over the last nine months.
Here are some examples:
Seriously, this is Toomey's first day tweeting about Bannon. The day he was fired. He had he power to do more. pic.twitter.com/R90YcGJUuO
— What's Pat Up To? (@WhatsPatUpTo) August 19, 2017
So brave of you... after it happens.
— Newburgh (@jamesrubyworks) August 19, 2017
Toomey is known around the state for his backbone & courage. pic.twitter.com/a4HiZS3evz
— Bepps, The (@l_____88_____l) August 19, 2017
Too little, way too late...TrumpCare voter
— Charles Oberkehr (@Choberkehr) August 19, 2017
And of course you said nothing until now
— Dan Larkin (@dlarkin76) August 19, 2017
All those phones we made asking you to denounce Bannon, yet NOW it's a great personnel decision? What a yutz, you are!
— Kevin Regan 🇺🇸 (@YourHeroKevin) August 19, 2017
Hypocrite! Where have you been. Easy to jump on the bandwagon. Tough to take a principled stance. You are part of the problem. #ImpeachNow
— Athena🙌🔥 (@Athena_1984) August 19, 2017
Good God, man. Where have you been? Tuesdays w/ Toomey originated from asking you to condemn this app't. You don't get credit.
— Audra J. Wolfe (@ColdWarScience) August 19, 2017
Awfully easy to talk tough after the fact, isn't it, @SenToomey?
— Mike Shanafelt (@shanafme) August 19, 2017
Why didn't you speak out before they were fired, coward?
— Danielle (@danyaf) August 19, 2017
That's strange. I contacted your office in January regarding Bannon and was told you supported him 100%. 🤷♀️
— Jennifer Fuller (@jafuller121) August 19, 2017
I called your office MANY times about Bannon, and it was *crickets*. Now you say something? Not very courageous.
— Kelly Lynn Thomas (@kellylynnthomas) August 19, 2017
Always late to the party, Toomey. We've been asking you to demand Bannon's removal for months.
— Elise Nicol (@nicolstudio) August 19, 2017
you have got to be kidding me. why didn't you support getting rid of bannon months ago?
— Brandy Bones (@brandybones) August 19, 2017
The same message also appeared on Toomey's Facebook page, as did many comments echoing the sentiments of the miffed Twitter users featured here, along with varying opinions on the firings, Trump's administration and, of course, Toomey himself.
