Donald Trump doesn't know who runs Senate. Do voters?
| Washington
Does Donald Trump know how the Senate and House work? He said something on Twitter today that indicates he might not. Specifically, : 鈥淲hy would the people of Kentucky want a rookie Senator 鈥� they have Sen. Mitch [McConnell] who may be next Speaker & bring $鈥檚 to KY?鈥�
He鈥檚 commenting there on the Kentucky Senate race, which pits Democratic Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes against Republican incumbent Sen. Mitch McConnell. Senator McConnell is Senate minority leader right now. If the GOP captures control of the Senate, he鈥檒l be Senate majority leader.
He won鈥檛 be 鈥淪peaker.鈥� That鈥檚 whoever runs the House of Representatives, which is, uh, another chamber. There鈥檚 already a Republican Speaker. His name is Rep. John Boehner, in case you didn鈥檛 know.
So Trump鈥檚 lack of knowledge (or poor typing) is getting widely mocked on social media. Here鈥檚 an example from Geoffrey Skelley, associate editor of the political newsletter Crystal Ball, that鈥檚 typical, except for the fact that : 鈥淢emo to Donald Trump: There鈥檚 only one Speaker in US government, and he/she isn鈥檛 in the US Senate.鈥�
In The New York Times they did it with a sort of double-snark backflip, by pointing out that, technically speaking, anyone can be elected Speaker 鈥� House rules don鈥檛 specify the position must be held by a member.
鈥淲e鈥檙e sure that鈥檚 what Mr. Trump meant,鈥� writes the Times鈥� Nick Corasaniti.
Yes, of course you are.
Here鈥檚 the problem with making fun of Trump: Most US voters might make the same mistake, or a similar one. Illiteracy about the structure of US politics is very widespread. That might make picking on The Donald a tiny bit unfair.
We鈥檒l start with one of our favorite examples, even though it鈥檚 kind of old: In 1998, a National Constitution Center poll found that than the three branches of government. (The split was 59 to 41 percent, for you polling wonks.)
And before you say that just shows kids aren鈥檛 learning, a 2007 survey from the same place found that two-thirds of adults couldn鈥檛 name the three branches, either.
We鈥檒l run down some other results from a : Only 40 percent of Americans know there are 100 senators. More than two-thirds of Americans don鈥檛 know how many senators it takes to override a filibuster. Twenty-five percent believe the Constitution actually says 海角大神ity is America鈥檚 official religion.
In 2007, found that 68 percent of Americans correctly identify the letters 鈥淕OP鈥� with the Republican Party. That鈥檚 great, right? Maybe, but it also means that 32 percent don鈥檛 know, or aren鈥檛 sure.
