Alcee Hastings: Trump, Kelly must apologize to Frederica Wilson and widow of soldier

WASHINGTON – The Congressional Black Caucus wants President Donald Trump and Chief of Staff John Kelly to apologize to Rep. Frederica Wilson and Myeshia Johnson, widow of the fallen Army Sgt. La David Johnson.

"Trump called Frederica 'wacky.' I call him tacky," Rep. Alcee Hastings said after the CBC met Wednesday afternoon. He said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, should apologize, too.

With that Hastings launched into a rant about Trump. "I'm very bitter," he said, wearing a sticker, as other Democrats did Wednesday, that showed a red cowboy hat and read #StandWithFrederica.

(Wilson, he said, was not in Washington due to threats she has received. A source told the Miami Herald that was accurate.)

"Trump says that people that kneel at football games protesting racism in this country, for lack of a better expression, are being disrespectful of the anthem and the flag. I say he's being disrespectful of the office that he holds with the way he goes after people with character assassination."

"Gen. Kelly said Frederica is an empty barrel. Frederica was a school teacher, a principal, a senator, a congressperson. She founded this organization right here," Hastings said, pointing to a necktie made for Wilson's 5000 Role Models of Excellent Project.

"I defy Donald trump to say he has impacted in a positive way as many people as Frederica has. If she is an empty barrel then Donald Trump must have a barrel full of sexual assault and all the attendant lies every time he opens his mouth. I'll take my empty barrel vs. his full barrel of stuff."

Referring to Huckabee Sanders's slam said Federica is "all hat and not cattle," Hastings, said, "Well, I would wonder if somebody said (Sanders) is all makeup and no substance. How would play out?"

"I'm very bitter as are many members of the Democratic Caucus and many people in this society the way the dignity of this office is being degraded."

He turned to Trump's war with Sen. Jeff Flake, Bob Corker and occasionally John McCain.

"Those three people are not chumps. For Trump to call Corker a lightweight, he has to be kidding. All three are genuine conservatives."

It was time to vote and Hastings disappeared into the House chamber.