Democrats stayed seated when President Donald Trump asked if the first duty of the government is to protect its citizens at his State of the Union address.
“If you agree with the statement, then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”
Republicans stood, clapped, and whistled for a couple of minutes before the president condemned Democrats for not standing.
“Isn’t that a shame? You should be ashamed of yourself, not standing up,” Trump said after applause died down.
The chamber got rowdy as Trump condemned Democrats, as a handful of members yelled back.
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Democrats proceeded to respond to the president, saying, “You killed Alex,” referring to Minnesota resident and ICU nurse Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by immigration enforcement personnel in Minneapolis on Jan. 24.
Deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser Stephen Miller echoed the president’s condemnation of Democrats, saying in a post on X, “The immortal visual of the entire Democrat party—upon explicit repeated invitation—refusing to stand for the core moral principle that US government owes its allegiance to US citizens and not foreign criminal invaders, is the most shocking image in the history of the US Congress.”
