Sen. McCormick defends Trump’s controversial moves, praises his Democratic counterpart as shutdown continues

Sen. David McCormick walks to the Senate Chamber during a vote-a-rama at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 30. Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Republican Sen. David McCormick defended Donald Trump’s latest controversial moves in a rare interview, including the president’s $230 million request for the Justice Department to pay his legal bills, the demolition of the White House’s East Wing , and his party’s handling of the government shutdown .

He also compared Democrats to “terrorists” in the tense stalemate over reopening the government — though he later walked that back.

But the Pennsylvania freshman, who won his seat last fall by about 15,000 votes, sings a different tune when it comes to his one-time political rival Sen. John Fetterman.

“My position has been from D