Asian American Democrats blast Trump's speech full of lies

SCREEN CAPTURE / MSNBC

DONALD TRUMP's speech last night (Dec. 8) could have been much worse; he could have declared a national emergency, diverted funds from other parts of the government and have the military build his Stupid Wall on the border with Mexico.

Instead, the speech he delivered in prime time on all the networks was the same old drivel he's been spouting since he declared his candidacy for president in 2015. His primary goal was to appeal to his base of supporters to put pressure on Congress to include $5-billion  for his border wall in the 2019-2020 budget.

Speaking in the formal setting of the Oval Office and reading from a teleprompter, Trump appeared subdued compared to when he speaks to his cheering supporters.

"Donald Trump sounds like a broken record," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA, "He reverts to the same old script -- demagoguery and xenophobia -- because that's all he knows how to do. ' 

"The fact is that even the Department of Homeland Security says the Southern border, where the Trump administration wants . to build a wall is more difficult to cross without authorization today than ever before," she said. 

"Apprehensions are at the lowest rate ever, And so much he wants to paint a different picture, immigrants commit crimes at a lower rate than native born Americans, Furthermore, we know that the majority of drugs come in at legal points of entry -- not where there is no wall. This has never been about security. It is simply political.

"President Trump is right: it is about right and wrong -- and what he has done and continues to do is just wrong; separating families, shutting down legal asylum, imprisoning more and more people in immigration prisons," Jayapal said.

"... This speech belongs in the dustbin -- it is time to move and get things done for our country."

Jayapal was among the Democratic AAPI politicians who watched the 10 minute speech.

“For over 18 days, he has misled the American people about the situation at the southern border and the need for a border wall," said Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY, in a press release. 

"Only President Trump is responsible for the government shutdown and the impasse between the White House and Congress. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrats have passed clean spending bills to fund the federal government that are identical to the ones that the Senate passed back in December.

"Democrats support smart, effective border security solutions, not an ineffective border wall. The only person who is keeping federal employees from receiving their paychecks is President Trump. Democrats are ready to re-open the federal government if only President Trump would agree to fund the federal government at levels the Republican Senate has already approved.”