GOP congressman critiques female colleagues’ attire

WASHINGTON – Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota criticized House Democratic women Wednesday for wearing “bad-looking white pantsuits” during President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress.

Cramer made the observation while talking with callers on a call-in radio show, “What’s On Your Mind,” that airs on several AM stations in his home state.

House Democratic women wore white to Trump’s speech to show solidarity with the women’s rights’ movement and suffragettes of the early 1900s.

Cramer roamed off onto the topic apparently without provocation while criticizing Democrats in a discussion with a caller.

“By the way did you notice how poorly several of them were dressed?” he said. “It is a syndrome, there is no question there is a disease associated with the notion that a bunch of women would wear bad-looking white pantsuits in solidary with Hillary Clinton to celebrate her loss. You cannot get that weird.”

Cramer’s comment drew a response over Twitter from House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who linked to a story in Politico about Cramer’s remarks and wrote “thank you for illustrating why we so badly need to honour #WomensHistoryMonth.”

Cramer, in his third term, is a Trump ally who is discussed as a potential candidate for Senate against Democrat Heidi Heitkamp next year.

His office had no immediate comment.

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Associated Press writer Doug Glass in Minneapolis contributed to this report.