Trump calls Democrats not applauding him ‘un-American’
BLUE ASH, OHIO » President Donald Trump accused congressional Democrats on Monday of being “unAmerican” and perhaps even treasonous for refusing to cheer positive news during his State of the Union address, as he turned an appearance that was arranged to promote new tax cuts into a session on bashing the political opposition.
Even as Trump celebrated the tax cuts and the economy, the Dow Jones Industrial Average took a wild ride during his nearly hourlong speech, falling roughly 1,000 points before erasing some of the losses. Trump has frequently commented on gains by the market during his first year in office, but he stayed silent on the day’s gyrations during his appearance at an Ohio company that makes cylinders.
At its close, the Dow had fallen more than 1,150 points, its largest single-day point drop, erasing its gains for the year.
Trump’s wife, Melania, accompanied him to Ohio aboard Air Force One but peeled off to visit Cincinnati’s children’s hospital. She was briefed on the state’s opioid epidemic while he pitched the tax cuts he signed into law just before Christmas.
During what turned into a wide-ranging speech, Trump most notably criticized House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi for describing as “crumbs” the bonuses of $1,000 or more that some companies, including the one he spoke at, are giving their workers as a result of the tax cuts.
He also accused Democrats of being “un-American” for not clapping even for positive news during his address to the nation last week, in contrast to fellow Republicans, who Trump said were “going totally crazy wild” over everything in the speech.
“They were like death. And un-American,” Trump said about the Democrats. “Somebody said treasonous. Can we call that treason? Why not?”
“They certainly didn’t seem to love our country very much,” the president said. He said Democrats “would rather see Trump do badly than our country do well.”
As for Pelosi, who represents San Francisco, Trump said: “She’s a rich woman who lives in a big beautiful house.” He said the “crumbs” talk was not a “good day” for Pelosi. He referred to her as the Republicans’ “secret weapon” and predicted his party will fare well in November’s congressional election.
Pelosi responded on Twitter, writing: “Every American should be alarmed by how @realDonaldTrump is working to make loyalty to him synonymous with loyalty to our country. That is not how democracy works.”
The president’s political broadsides contrasted with the softer touch employed by his wife on her visit to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where executives briefed her on the opioid crisis in Ohio. She also visited with some patients in an activity room, handing each child a Valentine’s Day card.