Trump Praises ICE, Faces Protests, During 4th of July Celebration
Much was made of Donald Trump’s planned 4th or July celebration in Washington DC. Critics claimed that the President was hijacking a formerly non-partisan event and turning it into a Republican campaign rally. The weather also threatened to put a damper on the festivities as DC faced nearly non-stop rain.
Eventually, however, the event took place with thousands of Trump supporters showing up for his hour long speech. During the speech, Trump focused heavily on the military and made sure to praise both ICE and the CBP.
While the President spoke at length about the sacrifices military members make, he also praised law and immigration officers. “Our nation has always honored the heroes who serve our communities, first responders, police, sheriffs, ICE, Border Patrol and all of the brave men and women of law enforcement,” said Trump. “On this July Fourth, we pay special tribute to the military service members who laid down their lives for our nation.”
The commander in chief ended his speech with a call for unity. He told the assembled, “The future belongs to the brave, the strong, the proud, and the free. We are one people, chasing one dream and one magnificent destiny. We all share the same heroes, the same home, the same heart, and we are all made by the same almighty God.”
The event, of course, also faced protests. Anti-war group, Codepink, flew a 20 foot Trump baby balloon over the event. Group co-director, Medea Benjamin explained, “We think that he is making this about himself and it’s really a campaign rally. We think that he’s a big baby. … He’s erratic, he’s prone to tantrums, he doesn’t understand the consequences of his actions. And so this is a great symbol of how we feel about our president.”
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