White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that President Trump was not speaking in “code” about Dreamers when discussing MS-13 gang members in his State of the Union address.
Mr. Trump received criticism for referring to MS-13 gang members who killed two teenage girls from New York as “unaccompanied alien minors.” Some, like Sen. Kamala Harris of California, took that as a reference to Dreamers — those who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children — and said it was offensive to paint them all as criminals.
“There was no code. The president could not have been more clear. He has laid out exactly what he wants to see in an immigration reform plan. All of the things he has laid out are things Democrats have supported,” Mrs. Sanders said on CNN.
The White House press secretary said it will be up to Democrats to decide if they “love America more than they hate this president” and come together on immigration and other issues.
When asked if she thought Democrats looked particularly upset during the speech, she said they always appear that way, showing a bitterness she sees embedded in the party.
“I think [House Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi looks like that all the time,” Mrs. Sanders explained.
“She seems to embody the bitterness that belongs in the Democratic Party right now,” she added.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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