CNBC’s Jim Cramer has harshly criticized both the White House and Congress for failing to deliver healthcare and tax reform.
President Donald Trump's tweets about the National Football League only further detract from the issues at hand, the "Mad Money" host recently said.
"So September comes to a close and nothing of substance has been done in Washington," Cramer said on CNBC.
"It's the ultimate do-nothing Congress, and now we've also got a do-nothing White House, at least until the president stops acting like a sports talk-radio personality. In short, if you were hoping for tax reform from this government, all I can say is don't hold your breath," Cramer said.
During a week in which a crucial Senate healthcare vote, his tax plan, the North Korean nuclear threat and Puerto Rico's post-hurricane suffering vied for attention, Trump has carried his feud with the NFL over players who kneel in protest into the new week with a fresh volley of tweets, the Associated Press reported.
"The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!" Trump said in one of his Monday tweets.
For his part, Cramer called an audible foul on the president's behavior and lack of apparent progress on his campaign vow of sweeping tax teform and an Obamacare repeal.
"The White House seems like it still hasn't figured out what rates it wants, let alone what could possibly pass. They might as well be working from two different countries to solve the tax issue, and it's incredibly clear that Congress can't possibly tackle two things at once," Cramer said.
"Getting tax reform done in September turns out to be a pipe dream," Cramer said.
"You simply can't pass a major piece of legislation in this country unless both the president and Congress are focused on it," Cramer said. "Right now, it feels like nobody's focused on tax reform, with the president more concerned about the national anthem, the NFL, and the ratings for football games," Cramer said.
Meanwhile, Trump reportedly is pleased with how his criticisms of the National Football League and its players have been received, according to a person who attended a dinner with the president and conservative group leaders on Monday night.
"It's really caught on. It's really caught on . . . I said what millions of Americans were thinking," Trump said at the Monday dinner, the source reported to CNN.
"You could really tell he was satisfied," the person said in CNN's report.
Trump was referencing his remarks over the weekend, including on Friday calling for the NFL to fire players who "disrespect" the U.S. flag.
The president continued to take aim at the NFL on Tuesday, saying that the league needs a rule against kneeling during the national anthem.
(Newsmax wires services contributed to this report).
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