The top Senate Republican said the congressional Democrats’ actions during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union showed a jarring disconnect from reality.
As Trump moved through his record-breaking speech, pointing out Olympians, war heroes and others, congressional Democrats largely sat still, refusing to stand. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., contended it was the manifestation of the political divide in Congress.
“I was, like, watching two Americas,” Thune said.
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Trump challenged congressional Democrats to get out of their seats during the speech, catching them flat-footed in a request that came roughly through the midway mark of his address.
“I’m inviting every legislator to join with my administration in reaffirming a fundamental principle,” Trump said. “If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”
At that moment, like several others throughout the night, Democrats didn’t budge.
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“And clearly, I think you saw in the chamber us as Republicans expressing support,” Thune said. “That contrast, when he asked the question and asked people to stand up and every Democrat was seated, I don’t know how you explain that. We are living, literally, in two Americas.”
Several congressional Democrats opted to skip the speech altogether, either attending counter-programming events in Washington, D.C., or watching from afar.
Some who did attend opted to act disruptively during the State of the Union, like Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who was escorted out of the chamber for the second year in a row — this time for flashing a sign that read “Black people aren’t apes” — or Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who shouted insults and rebuttals to Trump as he continued through the night.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., showed up and blasted Trump’s address the next morning.
“Last night was not America’s State of the Union,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “It was Donald Trump’s state of delusion. For two long hours, the president stood in the House chamber congratulating himself, inflating his own ego, but offering no solutions to our country’s many problems. He’s in a bubble.”
Thune contended that Democrats’ actions were indicative of their policy positions and charged that what Americans saw was “a party that is for open borders, a party that’s for sanctuary cities, a party that is basically the pro-defund law enforcement.”
“The way the Democrats were reacting to what the president had to say — whoever the president is, Democrat or Republican — you ought to have people who want to do what’s in the best interest of the American people,” Thune said. “And I hope there are still some Democrats around who want to do that.”
