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President Donald Trump is like a first-time plumber trying to fix a leaky pipe: inept, inexperienced and a little unaware — that's according to Gov. Gary Herbert, who made the comments at a Thursday news conference.
"If you've never been a plumber before … you might make a stumble here and there and maybe use a wrong wrench," Herbert said about the new administration's perceived lack of political experience.
The Republican governor gave the cautious but critical assessment of Trump's first month in office with specific disapproval for the president's often unpredictable and seemingly unfiltered messages on social media.
"Some of the rhetoric I'd appreciate toning down just a bit. The big joke is: Can we just take away his phone so he doesn't tweet as much?" he said with a grin. The governor did not elaborate on which of the president's comments prompted his concern.
Though Herbert had in recent weeks been "hopeful" that Trump would settle into the office, his response Thursday at his monthly KUED news conference wasn't nearly as encouraging. Instead, the governor suggested there is "certainly a learning curve" for someone who hadn't worked much in politics before ascending to the presidency and he'll cut Trump "a little slack on that."
The governor, who has held elective office continuously since 1990, didn't point to specific policies, but said Trump's actions during the past four weeks have "shed a light on his inexperience."
Herbert has previously said he was not on board with the president's executive order to shutter the U.S. refugee program and stop foreign travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries. The edict was later halted by a federal court ruling.
The governor has praised, though, the president's nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. And throughout the campaign, though he dodged questions about backing Trump, Herbert repeatedly shifted discussions to express support for his running mate, now Vice President Mike Pence.
On Thursday, Herbert noted that Trump has been moving forward on promises made during his run for office: "And those who didn't like what he said on the campaign trail are really upset that he's actually doing what he said he was going to do."
Herbert will travel to Washington, D.C., next week to speak with other governors from across the nation. The group will discuss, he said, "what we can do to make sure that we get good outcomes" from Trump's policies.
The governor also briefly touted the Utah Legislature at the start of the news conference for drafting bills on education funding, tax reforms and alcohol policy, which he said align with his own priorities. He said state lawmakers will "ramp things up" in the remaining three weeks of the session.
Twitter: @CourtneyLTanner