White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Democrats “fell right into” a political “trap” set by President Donald Trump during his State of the Union address Tuesday night. She explained that their reaction to the recognition of crime victims revealed their “true colors” on immigration and public safety.
“They fell right into it because they cannot help themselves. They truly stand on the side of the tens of millions of illegal aliens allowed into our nation’s open borders under the Biden administration. They stand with career criminals who have been jailed multiple times—12 times in the case of [Iryna Zarutska]—whose neck was slit by a repeat offender released back onto North Carolina streets by Democrat policies,” Leavitt said during a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity.
“They could not even stand for her heartbroken mother, whom President Trump was commending. They couldn’t even stand for a young girl [Dalilah Coleman], who will suffer brain damage for life after being hit by an illegal immigrant driving her family’s vehicle,” Leavitt added.
Her comments came after most House Democrats did not stand or applaud when Trump honored victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants, political violence, and lenient policies. Honorees included Anna Zarutska, mother of Charlotte rail-stabbing victim Iryna Zarutska, and 7-year-old Dalilah Coleman, seriously injured in a collision with an illegal immigrant driving an 18-wheel truck. Trump also honored Erika Kirk, widow of his late friend and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk.
Leavitt called the Democrats’ behavior “despicable,” but praised Trump’s “brilliant” strategy of challenging lawmakers to stand if they believed protecting American citizens’ interests was more important than protecting illegal immigrants.
“It was his idea to include that in the speech, and it proved effective. He wanted the American people to see this as a choice between common sense, Trump, and Republicans versus radical Democrats who stand for nothing except opposition to Donald Trump,” she said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) struggled to maintain control during the lively address, as Trump provoked Democrats and prompted numerous outbursts. Before the event, Jeffries instructed his caucus to either remain in “silent defiance” or skip the speech entirely. However, once Trump began speaking, House Democrats largely ignored the directive.
Rep. Al Green (D-TX) was removed from the chamber after holding a sign reading, “Black people aren’t apes!” in response to a widely condemned video Trump posted on Truth Social depicting the Obamas as monkeys. The video was not created or edited by Trump or his team. The incident mirrored last year’s confrontation, during which Green waved a cane at Trump, who again chose to ignore him, turning the disruption into a spectacle.
Other Democrats, including Representatives Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Bill Foster (D-IL), and Madeline Dean (D-PA), stood and left the chamber midway through the nearly two-hour speech, according to the Washington Examiner.
Trump drew the strongest reaction when he asked the chamber to stand if they believed the U.S. government should prioritize American citizens over illegal aliens. When Democrats did not comply, Trump seized the moment, saying, “You should be ashamed of yourself for not standing up. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
The comments sparked strong responses from Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who accused Trump of responsibility for the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two U.S. citizens shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this year.
