You’re right about one thing, too many Republicans are concerned with looking honorable and taking the high road. He should have been more forceful on the pushback IMO.
They would still huff and puff about needing to take the high road and not stoop to their level at the same time they were being herded into cattle cars to go to the Gulag.
His response should have been the B*tch-slap Heard Round The World...