Blumenthal: Trump Comment ‘Blatantly Racist Remark, Odious, and Invidious’
RUSH EXCERPT:
REID: "I want to come back to the question of whether you trust your colleagues based on what they’ve done in the last 24 hours. I want to also about to some of the real-world implications what was Donald Trump said and did. This is a statement from the government of Botswana on the African continent. The Botswana government has inquired from the U.S. Government through its ambassador to clarify if Botswana is regarded as a shithole country given there are Botswana nationals residing in the U.S. We no know there are at least 6,000 U.S. Troops deployed in Africa. We saw the death of sergeant la David Johnson in Niger. We know we have active operations on the continent to combat terrorism. There is a national security risk that countries in Africa would come to doubt the commitment of the United States to mutual defense and cooperation given the president disparaging them?
BLUMENTHAL: "Joy, we have special operators in the large numbers throughout those African countries, as well as elsewhere in the world, that the president disparaged. And we need their cooperation. We are working hard for the hearts and minds of their people, for their support using our soft power. And the greatest soft power we have is the example of our democracy. Our openness and tolerance. And we put those special operators, our men and women in uniform, and others in harm’s way when we increase hostility to them. We should be reaching out and highlighting, as you did with your story, the great American immigration experience. We ar beacon of freedom and opportunity. We’re a nation of immigrants. Our strength is our diversity. And Donald Trump ought to come with me one of these days to an immigration naturalization ceremony. I do it as often as I can in the state of Connecticut. Where new citizens are made. And the spirit and gratitude among those 60 people in every one of those sessions, they come from all over the world, is absolutely inspiring. So yes, we put them at greater risk. And we need to work ultimately with the president. We need him on board to sign a D.R.E.A.M. Act as well as comprehensive immigration reform, as well as other measures."
REID: "Let me quickly ask you, we’re out of time, but do you trust your Republican scleegs across the aisle to work with you, given the fact that only one of them, Lindsey Graham, was willing to speak back to the president when he made these dispaing remarks and none of them, including Lindsey Graham, are willing to go before cameras and do what dick Durbin did and tell us what the president said and denounce him on camera?
BLUMENTHAL: "I hope that they will show by their actions, as well as their words, that they’re willing to repudiate Donald Trump, that he does not speak for them by referring to these countries in this way. A blatantly racist remark, odious, invidious. And that they will look at this and step back and join us. I have to trust ultimately or at least hope that they will take that kind of constructive action. And that ultimately the president will sign a sensible D.R.E.A.M. Act."
