Congressman on Trump's SOTU address: 'Whoever translated it for him from Russian did a good job'
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) was able to come up with one barbed compliment for President Trump, following his first State of the Union address.
"Although I disagreed with almost everything he said, for Trump, the speech was clear and well-delivered," Gutierrez said in a statement. "Whoever translated it for him from Russian did a good job." Gutierrez is one of the most outspoken members of Congress when it comes to helping young, undocumented people brought to the United States as children, and he said that while he remains hopeful, after hearing Trump's immigration proposal, he can't see Congress and the president coming to an agreement that protects DREAMers.
"The White House agenda is to gut legal immigration in exchange for allowing some of the DREAMers to live here," he said, and Democrats and Republicans who both support legal immigration won't go for this. "The DREAMers themselves have said they do not want legal status if it comes at the expense of others who will suffer more as part of the bargain," he added. "The speech did nothing to bring the pro- and anti-immigrant sides closer together."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump also refrained from mentioning the devastation in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria, and Gutierrez said Puerto Rico is "a metaphor for how this president sees all Latinos and people of color: he does not see us as his equals and he does not see us as his fellow human beings." When Gutierrez was born in 1953, "separate but equal was the law of the land," he added, and while he's proud of the progress that's been made since that time, he was "hoping to get through my life without having to witness an outwardly, explicitly racist American president, but my luck ran out."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 21, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - devilish decrees, biblical blunders, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 carefully selected cartoons about the Trump-Daniels jury selection process
Cartoons Artists take on a stress-free life, rare peers, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Loire Valley Lodges review: sleep, feast and revive in treetop luxury
The Week Recommends Forest hideaway offers chance to relax and reset in Michelin key-winning comfort
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrike
Speed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claims
Speed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claims
Speed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How will Israel respond to Iran's direct attack?
Speed Read Iran’s weekend attack on Israel could escalate into a wider Middle East war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published