DPCC Co-Chair Jeffries: Donald Trump Has Chosen to Tear Us Apart
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), appeared on The Beat with Ari Melber on MSNBC to discuss how the President continues to fail to bring the country together. Jeffries condemned President Trump for responding to the chaos, crisis and confusion of the moment with indifference for human life. Below are excerpts from the interview. Click here to watch the video.
"Well, it's a serious threat that has targeted two former presidents, high ranking governmental officials and public figures who have been very critical of the President. That's a very troubling pattern that suggests that there was provocation based on the politics of the moment that we are in. Words matter, leadership is important. It starts at the top, and the President has chosen to respond to the chaos, crisis and confusion of the moment by basically showing depraved indifference to human life. And that's been shameful and shocking. And the only way for the American people to respond through their goodness is going to be through the power of the ballot that has been given to us by our founding fathers to show that this is not okay, that we are better than this and to impose a check and balance on this President on November 6th."
"He absolutely is making it worse. Presidents can either unite or they can divide. They can either bring people together or they can tear us apart. And Donald Trump has clearly chosen to tear us apart by showing indifference at best and definitely provocation at worst in terms of what has taken place. It's not even clear that he has the ability to show human compassion for what has taken place, and that is perhaps the biggest tragedy of it all. He's been on this earth 70 plus years. It's clear to us that he is not going to change."
"Well, he's someone who clearly has authoritarian tendencies. When given the chance, he always shows us who he is. Initially, he'll respond based on what's on a script, show some humanity. But then when he's unleashed from the script or the teleprompter, basically communicates what he really thinks about the matter. And that is quite unfortunate. Because this is not a situation where it is Democrats versus Republicans, the left versus the right, progressives or conservatives. This is a life or death matter. This is when leadership is really required at the top, and he has failed the American people."