Democrat Senator Who Replaced Dem. Al Franken for Sexually Assaulting Women, Claim's Franken's a "Champion of Women"

Sen. Tina Smith (D., Minn.), who was appointed to fill former Sen. Al Franken's seat after his resignation, praised her Democratic predecessor on Wednesday as a "champion" of women's issues.



Smith appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" after her maiden speech on the Senate floor on Tuesday, in which she praised Franken's "passion and heart" as well as his progressive values. Franken resigned in January after allegations of groping and sexual misconduct continued to mount following the release of a picture with his hands on radio host Leeann Tweeden's breasts while she slept.



"Do you hear from constituents about Al Franken?" host Mika Brzezinski asked. "And what do they say? And how do you navigate that?"



"Al is a friend of mine, and I've known him for a long time," Smith began. "Al was a great leader in Minnesota; he was a champion for a lot of causes that I care a lot about."



Smith specifically lauded Franken's work for women.



"He was a champion for a lot of issues that matter to women. Minnesotans, I think—this is how I feel—also understand that Al had a really tough choice to make," she said. "He made the best decision that he could for himself and Minnesota."