The White House on Wednesday hit back at Democrats for their behavior during President Trump’s joint address the night before, calling it “disgraceful.”
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt focused her criticism on Democrats not standing up to cheer for certain moments that she argued were positive wins for Americans out of the first weeks of Trump’s term.
According to Reuters, “President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress in a televised speech on Tuesday, six weeks into a tumultuous term during which he has upended decades of U.S. foreign and domestic policy and stretched the limits of the presidency.
Unlike his predecessor, President Joe Biden, who sought dialogue with Republicans and bipartisan victories, Trump did not look to enlist support of Democrats for his agenda. Instead, he largely mocked and dismissed them during the speech as if he were still a candidate on the campaign trail. In response, several Democrats either turned their backs to Trump or walked out of the chamber. By the time Trump was finished, their side of the aisle was half empty.
Leavitt added that Democrats “exposed themselves as the party of insanity and hate” and accused them of having “Trump derangement syndrome.”
Leavitt also said Wednesday that the public was supportive of Trump’s remarks, even if Democratic lawmakers weren’t, citing a poll from CNN that found that 7 in 10 speech-watchers said they had at least a somewhat positive reaction
There was also criticism of the fact that Democratic women wore pink in a show of unification and in protest against Trump’s policies which affect women.
During the address, Trump clashed with Democrats, and Democrats showed an extraordinary display of disruptions, protests and pained expressions throughout the night.
The evening began with a rare scene, when Rep. Al Green a regular Trump foil, stood to heckle the president after he boasted of his election victory. Green was then removed from the chamber.
And prior to the speech:
