Hank Johnson: “On Tuesday night, there was a prime-time television speech from the Oval Office, which appealed to fear, prejudice, and…”

“On Tuesday night, there was a prime-time television speech from the Oval Office, which appealed to fear, prejudice, and anger. The argument was for a border wall by stereotyping and demonizing people coming to America seeking asylum, safety, and refuge from the violence caused by the war on drugs this administration is escalating in Central and South America. With provocative anecdotes about violence and fear-mongering rhetoric, he used the word ``illegal'' 12 times throughout the entire speech, which was undertaken amidst what is shaping up to be the longest government shutdown in the Nation's history. Never once did he mention the Federal workers who won't receive a paycheck this week--not once. His purpose was to create a state of anxiety about our national security in an effort to convince Republican Members of Congress and the American people to stay with him on his narcissistic quest for billions of dollars to build his big, beautiful wall that he promised Mexico would pay for, but now he is demanding that the American people pay for it. That doesn't add up, ladies and gentlemen. What is not understood is that we are not a country that cowers or bends in dread to a hostage taker. To quote President Truman: ``America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.'' The job at hand for this President right now, and for this Congress, is to reopen the government.…”