A Washington Post editorial accused President Trump on Tuesday of appealing to “to raw prejudice and fear” in his first joint session speech by inviting the families of people “allegedly murdered by illegal immigrants” to attend.
The Post’s use of “allegedly” appears to suggest that there is legal doubt over whether it was illegal immigrants who murdered the victims, although there are few doubts.
In the cases of the “people allegedly murdered by illegal immigrants,” one person, illegal immigrant Pedro Espinoza, was convicted in 2012 of killing Jamiel Shaw II.
Another illegal immigrant confessed. Luis Enriquez Monroy Bracamontes, stated in court in 2015, “I killed them cops,” a reference to two police officers, Danny Oliver and Michael Davis Jr., he says he shot dead.
Jamiel Shaw, the father of Jamiel Shaw II; Jessica Davis, the wife of Michael; Susan Oliver, the wife of Danny, and her daughter Jenna, were all present for Trump’s address Tuesday night.
“Joining us in the audience tonight are four very brave Americans whose government failed them,” Trump said when he introduced them.
Trump said in his speech that the Department of Homeland Security had been directed to create a new office for the Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement, or VOICE.
“To Jamiel, Jenna, Susan and Jessica: I want you to know we will never stop fighting for justice,” he said. “Your loved ones will never be forgotten, we will always honor their memory.”
The Post editorial referred to it as “the ugliest moment” of Trump’s speech.
“It was an appeal to raw prejudice and fear that will do nothing to promote the national unity he claims to be seeking,” the editorial said.
Fred Hiatt, editor of the Post’s editorial page, told the Washington Examiner he was “away” and currently unable to comment on the editorial.
