Democrats have panned Donald Trump’s first primetime speech to Congress since returning to the White House in response to the speech.
Democrats exclusion from Democrats — Democrats are in the minority in both the Senate and House of Representatives — left them limited options on how to effectively respond to Trump’s hardliners’ 1 hour and 40 minute play.
Some of the party’s upstarts, including Connecticut Voice Senator Chris Murphy, and progressive representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, are protesting away.
Those present turned their backs on Trump, held up placards and raised plazads with messages like “No King,” “Save Medicaid,” and “Mask Steel,” and held up placards about the government’s cost-cutting role played by billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
The protest was surprising compared to the signs of bingo by Symne Sanders-Townsend, the usual sympathetic commentator who hosts the MSNBC channel.
“Why is Democrats just sitting there? The sign hasn’t landed. They’re giving bingo! Sigh,” she posted to X.
The silent, stern, democratic audience — who are raising Ukrainian flags or wearing clothing in the colours of the country — has provided Trump with the perfect props to troll in real time.
“I’m looking at the Democrats in front of me, and I realize that there’s absolutely nothing I can say about making them happy, standing, smiling, or praise them,” Trump said. “These people sitting here don’t applause, hold back, certainly don’t support these astronomical achievements.”
But all the Democrats’ complaints were not passive.
Some members cried out “January 6th.” This comes when the president vows to impose “laws and orders” and praise the police in connection with a Trump-inspired attack by violent mobs at the U.S. Capitol.
The most assertive act of resistance came from Texas Congressman Al Green. He was escorted out of the room on orders from House Speaker Mike Johnson after stolen Trump and told him he had no orders.
Green, 77, who has since prepared an article on the perks each against Trump, told reporters that his expulsion “is worthy of letting people know that there are people who are going to stand up.”
The more measured democratic response came from Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin. The Michigan Senator won a seat on the traditional campaign field in November when Trump slightly beat Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Slotkin, a former CIA officer, condemned Trump’s apparent betrayal of Ukraine, and Republican predecessor Ronald Reagan said he would “roll his grave” in honor of Russian leader President Vladimir Putin.
“President Trump loves to promise “peace through strength,” she said in a broadcast speech delivered from her hometown of Wyandeat in Michigan. That’s actually a line he stole from Ronald Reagan. However, after the sight that took place in the oval office last week, Reagan must be rolling around his grave.
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“We all want to end the war in Ukraine, but Reagan realised that true strength would require America to combine the power of the military and economics with moral clarity.
“As a child of the Cold War, I’m grateful that it was Reagan and not Trump in the 1980s. Trump would have lost the Cold War to us.”
Slotkin also tried to oppose her Democratic colleagues to depressing indifference in the face of Trump’s aggressive agenda, but also inspires citizens who fear the future of American democracy.
“I live and work in many countries. I’ve seen democracy flicker. When government is equipped, I’ve seen what life is like,” she said. “Don’t fool for a moment that democracy is precious and not worth saving.”
Advising her to resist seemingly unrestrained Trump, she continued. America needs you more than ever. If the previous generation hadn’t fought for democracy, where would we be today? We all know that our country is experiencing something now. Needless to say, the next decade, we don’t know what will happen the next day.
“But this is not the first time we have experienced significant and turbulent changes as a nation. Every time, we have overcome these moments for two things.
Jasmine Crockett, a Congressional Democrat from Texas, had the language of the earth, promising to fight Trump, whom he called “really mentally ill” due to his stated desires during his speech to take over Greenland.
“Why are we fighting Greenland?” she asked Adam Mockler of the progressive Meidastouch Network. “We’re fighting Canada. We’re fighting Mexico, but are you in love with President Putin? What’s going on? This isn’t America. This is a terrible nightmare. Someone slap me and I’m ready to tackle it, so have me fuck.”
