Civil and Human Rights Coalition: ‘TelePrompter Trump’ Hostile to Our Civil and Human Rights

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on President Trump’s State of the Union address:

“TelePrompter Trump may have delivered a coherent speech before a live studio audience, but the behind-the-scenes footage reveals his administration’s hostility toward civil and human rights. He touts the notion of one united American family, but his actions paint a different reality. Trump actively seeks to disadvantage, divide, and discriminate against women, people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, the LGBTQ community, those aspiring to join the middle class, and so many more.

“Moreover, Congress, led by Republicans, has continuously put party over country. Lawmakers have been unwilling to enact much-needed reforms on a range of civil rights issues including the Dream Act, and have failed in their responsibility to serve as a check on the executive. Most ominously, Congress is also rubber-stamping Trump’s biased and unqualified judicial nominees, allowing him to reshape the courts in his image.

“Trump’s infrastructure scam is not a serious plan to invest public money in worthwhile projects that strengthen all of our communities and create good jobs. We can and should invest in ways that raise the quality of life for everyone. And, we must pursue immigration policies that uphold our values as a nation. If the president wants the state of our union to truly be strong, then he must stop stoking hate and sowing division among us.

“Our civil and human rights may be under siege, but the state of those willing to stand up and speak out remains strong. The civil and human rights community has fought back against each of President Trump’s many egregious actions, and we will continue to do so.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.