November 08, 2017
Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum has long been a supporter and ally of President Donald Trump, but his patience is wearing thin after Tuesday's elections ushered a wave of Democrats into office across the country.
Nowhere were the results more painful to Republicans than in Virginia, where Democrat Ralph Northam took down Ed Gillespie. Trump, on Twitter, said the loss was Gillespie's own fault.
Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for. Don’t forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even bigger than before!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2017
But to Santorum, who has pleaded with Trump to ease off on social media in the past, Tuesday's GOP defeats are another clear sign of the president's attitude repelling otherwise platform-friendly voters. But the bigger issue, he said on CNN, is that his administration has been stagnant.
"I think the bottom line is Donald Trump is not delivering on what he said he was going to deliver on, and that's the problem," Santorum said. "And he needs to deliver, and if there's a message for Republicans they better get that message and they better start passing stuff and looking like they can govern."
The former presidential candidate also reiterated that Trump's aggressive attitude — not his antagonism toward the media — that's alienating suburban voters.
"I think it's the personal attacks and that edge that's just beneath the office of the president," Santorum said.
Watch the full segment below.
