Thursday afternoon, the US Senate passed new sanctions against Russia with a vote of 97-2. Just two Republicans — Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah — voted against the bill, which passed the House on Tuesday with a similar percentage of Yea votes. Both chambers served up a veto-proof majority in a show of bipartisan action rarely seen outside honorary legislation.
The bill provides new sanctions for Russia, Iran, and North Korea, and includes a stunning rebuke to the president, whose power is stymied by the language of the legislation. Congressional approval would be required for the president to subsequently lift or even ease any sanctions. The measure came in response to Russian interference in the 2016 election, solidifying the consensus among literally everyone except Donald Trump, who still occasionally denies interference altogether, when he’s not blaming Barack Obama for not doing anything about it.
Democratic Representative Ted Lieu, who has been a frequent foil for Trump on his favorite social media platform, was on Twitter in a heartbeat after passage of the bill:
As a Member of the House Foreign Affairs Cmte, I know this sanctions bill is a great deal for America. I dare @realDonaldTrump to veto it. https://t.co/jIfrYbFMoJ
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) July 27, 2017
Daring Trump to try and test his power and authority, he also pointed out the consequences for the president, should he decide to veto the bill:
If @realDonaldTrump vetoes the Russia, Iran, N. Korea sanctions bill, he would be throwing Israel & US under the bus to help Putin & Russia. https://t.co/iF4D3da5Vm
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) July 27, 2017
Lieu, who represents California’s 33rd District, seems to have made it his job to troll the president online, and Twitter is the perfect place for snarky one-liners and the art of the comeback. He actually referenced the Trump-Russia connection right in the bio section of his account:
Husband of Betty, the love of my life. Father of two great kids. USAF veteran. Member of Congress. In that order. Also, I don’t take orders from Vladimir Putin.
Lieu got a quick start after Trump’s inauguration with tweets poking fun at his fact-free style:
Was charged $2.99 for coffee listed at $2.59. That’s why I have trust issues. Oh, and the fact that @seanspicer at #WhiteHouse makes shit up
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 23, 2017
Based on recs from folks on Twitter, I updated the sign outside my Congressional office. Added “Period” to #AlternativeFacts Free Zone. pic.twitter.com/rhILZWLmUW
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 25, 2017
He took on more serious issues with the same comic sensibility:
Tillerson’s ignoring of question on chemical weapons in Syria & his poor performance as SoS is alarming. So I made this cheat sheet to help. pic.twitter.com/eu8k7XRBQn
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) April 4, 2017
But generally he just uses his platform to crack a joke or two:
BREAKING NEWS: More collusion, lying, cover-ups & foreign powers to be revealed Sunday evening. (I’m referring to @GameOfThrones).
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) July 14, 2017
Will Donald Trump block Rep Lieu on Twitter like he has so many others who irritate him? Or will he just continue to ignore him, like he does with voters? Either way, we can count on Ted to keep us in stitches whenever the White House does something stupid — or when we want to see Trump get trolled.
Featured image via Kris Connor/Getty Images
