Menendez: Trump's hack suggestion is treason

Donald Trump’s suggestion that Russia should hack into the emails of Hillary Clinton equates to an act of treason, Sen. Robert Menendez told New Jersey delegates Thursday morning in a speech warning of the dangers of the Republican nominee becoming commander in chief.

Menendez and New Jersey’s junior U.S. senator, Cory Booker, addressed the delegation on the final day of the Democratic National Convention praising the party but painting a dire portrait of life in America under a President Trump. The message extended down-ballot as well. Booker called U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett New Jersey’s version of Donald Trump in an endorsement to replace him with challenger Josh Gottheimer, a Wyckoff Democrat.

For nearly an hour Thursday the two senators praised the character and qualifications of Clinton, who will accept the historic nomination as the first woman to head a major party’s presidential ticket. But in equal measure they ripped into Trump, saying he is a reckless demagogue who lacks the temper and discretion to occupy the Oval Office. The senators seized on Trump’s comments a day earlier, referencing a trove of missing Clinton emails that were stored on an unauthorized private server while Secretary of State.

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“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press,” Trump said. The Republican later said he was being sarcastic.

But Menendez said during his speech that Trump’s comments were not only an invitation for a foreign adversary to conduct espionage, but “I consider that an act of treason,” a crime punishable by death. Speaking with reporters later, Menendez clarified his remarks.

“I’m not saying I want to kill Donald Trump,” Menendez said. “But if you are going to ultimately go ahead and ask a foreign government to go ahead and hack into the election of the highest office in the land and the leader of the free world, well I am sure that if Hillary Clinton was suggesting that, Donald Trump would be calling it treason.”

Booker, who was reportedly in contention to run for vice president, delivered a message that despite bombastic comments that would likely hurt any other candidate, voters should not take it for granted that Trump will lose the election on his own.

“There’s been so many points in this campaign by what he utters should be the end of his campaign, but the reality is if we put somebody like that in the White House, who every single week is saying something that is either insulting, demeaning or degrading,” Booker said, “if we allow that into the White House, we could have someone that’s creating an international crisis with his words or a domestic crisis with his words every single week.”

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During his speech, Booker spoke of his upbringing in Harrington Park, which is now represented by Garrett, a Republican from Wantage who has been under fire for anti-gay positions.

“If there was going to be a Donald Trump of the New Jersey delegation, it is Scott Garrett,” Booker said. “Here’s a guy who’s so extreme that he won’t even give money to the Republican committee that elects Republican candidates because they give money to Republicans who are gay. That’s the extreme nature of his hate.”

Garrett’s office did not immediately respond for comment to Booker.

Email: racioppi@northjersey.com