Sen. Cory Booker, New Jersey Democrat, said his “love” for President Trump will not stop him from preventing his re-election to the White House.

One of more than a dozen Democrats currently seeking the party’s nomination to run against Mr. Trump in 2020, Mr. Booker discussed his admitted affection for the president when being interviewed Friday by “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert on CBS.

“You talk a lot about love, love of your country, love of your fellow man. You’ve said very specifically that you don’t have any hate in your heart,” said Mr. Colbert. “You have even said that ‘I love Donald Trump.’”

“Well, my mom taught Sunday school, and she taught me love your neighbor, no exceptions, and never let someone pull you so low that you hate them. So I’m not going to let Donald Trump contort my soul,” said Mr. Booker.

Prior to winning the presidency in 2016, Mr. Trump said on Twitter that “If Cory Booker is the future of the Democratic Party, they have no future! I know more about Cory than he knows about himself.”

“Let me tell you right now: I love Donald Trump,” Mr. Booker reacted the next day. “I don’t want to answer his hate with hate — I’m going to answer it with love.”

A former mayor of Newark elected to the Senate in 2013, Mr. Booker last month entered the already crowded group of Democrats seeking the party’s nod to compete against Mr. Trump’s re-election campaign, joining a growing tally of fellow White House hopefuls including several colleagues from Capitol Hill, among others.

“I think patriotism means the love of country, and you can’t love your country unless you love your fellow countrymen and women,” Mr. Booker told Mr. Colbert later in the interview Friday. “I may love this people, but I don’t want Donald Trump to be my president, and I’m going to work very hard to make sure he’s out of that office.”

“In the name of love,” Mr. Booker added.

Commenting last month on Mr. Booker’s presidential campaign. Mr. Trump said: “I say no chance.”

“Because I know him,” Mr. Trump asserted. “He has no chance.”

“So far, I don’t see anybody. I don’t — I’m not impressed with their group,” said Mr. Trump.

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.