Sen. Al Franken Alan (Al) Stuart FrankenGOP Senate candidate says Trump, Republicans will surprise in Minnesota Peterson faces fight of his career in deep-red Minnesota district Getting tight — the psychology of cancel culture MORE (D-Minn.) on Tuesday pushed back against the thought that future presidential candidates will be favored based on their stage presence, saying that he wasn't "sure that you have to be [President] Trump to beat Trump.”

Franken was responding to a comment made by Chris Matthews during the MSNBC show "Hardball."

“You know what’s happened in politics under Trump. But if he runs again, it’ll happen again. It’s not about resumé or qualifications, necessarily, or preparation or seriousness. It’s about how you behave on the stage. … It’s on the stage, it’s in the moment,” Matthews said.

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“I’m not sure that you have to be Trump to beat Trump,” Franken replied.

Franked pointed out that “the person who gets elected is often the opposite of the last guy,” noting that former President Obama, seen as eloquent, followed former President George W. Bush, who was often viewed as the opposite.

“Maybe the next person to run against Trump shouldn’t feed into your narrative there, which is always a mistake, Chris," Franken said.