‘Tears Are Running Down the Cheeks of the Statue of Liberty’: Democrats React to Trump’s ‘Extreme Vetting’
After James Mattis was sworn in as his Secretary of Defense, President Donald Trump signed an “extreme vetting” executive order that, in his words, would “keep radical Islamic terrorists out.”
Below is text of the order that Trump signed:
Here is the "extreme vetting" executive order President Trump signed pic.twitter.com/lX3MpU7eXb
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) January 27, 2017
Following Trump’s action, a number of Democrats released statements condemning the order, which suspends refugee admissions for 120 days, indefinitely bans certain Syrian refugees and suspends visas from a number of Muslim countries.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) released the following statement:
Chuck Schumer of Trump's 'extreme vetting' Exec. Order: "Tears are running down the cheeks of the Statue of Liberty tonight." pic.twitter.com/ONz3Ss6BJ5
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 28, 2017
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also invoked the Statue of Liberty in her statement:
Pelosi blasts Trump's 'extreme vetting' Exec. Order: "This Administration has mistaken cruelty for strength and prejudice for strategy." pic.twitter.com/LNBnDTNvGe
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 28, 2017
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) called the order “offensive.”
“Today’s executive order by President Trump using extreme vetting and banning refugees from many majority Muslim countries is offensive and a monumental waste of federal resources. Having served on active duty, we are taught that to defeat the enemy, we first need to know our enemy. Our enemies are terrorist groups such as ISIS and AL Qaeda, not children, women and senior citizens fleeing those groups.”
“The chances of being struck by lightning TWICE is 1 in 9 million. The chances of being killed by a refugee committing a terrorist act is 1 in 3.6 billion. These facts lead me to conclude that Trump’s action is not based on national security, it is based on bigotry. Lady Liberty is crying.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) hit Trump for issuing the order on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
.@POTUS observes Holocaust Remembrance Day by slamming the door on the world's most desperate people w/ "extreme vetting."
— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) January 27, 2017
[image via screengrab]
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