Trump calls Dems who didn't clap during State of the Union 'treasonous' and 'un-American'
President Trump said on Monday that Democrats who didn’t applaud during his State of the Union address — including Rep. Nancy Pelosi — were “treasonous” and “un-American.”
“They would rather see Trump do badly, OK, than Trump do well,” the president said during an event promoting tax reform in Blue Ash, Ohio, on Monday afternoon. “It’s very selfish. And it got to a point where I really didn’t want to look too much during the speech over to that side. Because honestly it was bad energy.”
Republicans in the House chamber applauded often during Trump’s Jan. 30 State of the Union address, his first as president, while Democrats, led by Pelosi, resisted many of Trump’s applause lines.
“You’re up there, you’ve got half the room going totally crazy, wild, they loved everything, they want to do something great for our country,” Trump recalled, “and you’ve got the other side — even on positive news, really positive news — they were like death. And un-American. Un-American.”
Trump then pointed to the back of the room of the Ohio factory where he was speaking.
“Somebody said treasonous. Yeah, I guess, why not?” the president said to laughter from the crowd. “Can we call that treason? Why not. I mean, they certainly didn’t seem to love out country very much.”
Representatives for Pelosi and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee did not immediately return requests for comment.
Trump described a moment during his speech when he touted the record-low African-American unemployment rate — a figure he has taken credit for, although the drop during his first year in office continued a steep fall during President Obama’s second term.
“I said we have the lowest black unemployment in the history of our country,” Trump said. “It was like, it was a game, you know, they play games.
“They were told, don’t even make a facial movement. And I’m talking about, you have the lowest Hispanic unemployment in the history of our country — this isn’t me saying, this is the charts, the polls. Dead silence. Not a smile.”
Trump said he noticed one man — “probably a reverend,” Trump said — clapping among the Democrats.
“He was probably severely reprimanded,” Trump mused.
Earlier, while urging Republican voters not to become complacent heading into upcoming midterm elections, Trump seized upon comments Pelosi made about the GOP tax cuts. The California congresswoman referred to the bonuses some companies are giving employees as a result of Trump’s tax cuts as “crumbs.”
“She’s a rich woman who lives in a big, beautiful house in California, who wants to give all your money away,” Trump said. “And I’m supposed to make a deal with her?”
Trump compared the remark to Hillary Clinton calling his supporters “deplorable.”
Pelosi, Trump said, is our “secret weapon.”
“I just hope they don’t change her.”
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