GOP candidate for Senate compares opposing Trump agenda to cheating on wife

William Cummings | USA TODAY

Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., brought up the importance of marital fidelity while discussing President Trump during an interview Wednesday, and Stormy Daniels didn't even factor into the conversation.

Conservative radio host Scott Hennen asked Cramer, who is running against North Dakota's incumbent Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, about Heitkamp's criticism that Cramer will "vote with Trump all the time, even when it hurts North Dakota."

"Well, here's the good news about Donald Trump: most of the time he's for North Dakota," Cramer responded.

"I've heard her say, 'Gee, I voted with him 55% of the time.' Can you imagine going home and telling your wife, 'I've been faithful to you 55% of the time'? Are you kidding me? Being wrong half the time is not a good answer," North Dakota's lone congressman said.

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Cramer defended the comment, saying in an email to CNN, "I was clearly talking about Heidi Heitkamp's attempt to hide from her voting record by claiming she supports the Trump agenda. Voting in the best interests of North Dakota 50% of the time is nothing to celebrate."

Heitkamp's campaign fired back.

"Loyalty to North Dakotans ought to come first every time — that's what Heidi believes, but Congressman Cramer believes that being a faithful vote for President Trump and his party are more sacred than the interests of North Dakota families," Heitkamp campaign press secretary Sean Higgins told CNN.

Trump has a history of marital infidelity. He cheated on his first wife Ivana Trump with Marla Maples, whom he later married. And two women who have worked in adult entertainment claimed they had affairs with Trump while he was married to his current wife, Melania.

In addition, more than a dozen women have accused Trump of unwanted sexual advances.

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Some on Twitter said it was ironic Cramer made the comment about cheating on one's spouse in that context.

Does he not see how ironic that comment is?? — Richard Bruner Smith (@richbsmit) April 4, 2018

bad analogy or height of irony? — Lawrence Connolly (@LawrenceConnol2) April 4, 2018