Skip to Content

Press Releases

Ranking Member Nadler Remarks on Resolution Censuring President Trump's “Shithole” Comments

Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, joined with Chairman Cedric Richmond (D-LA) of the Congressional Black Caucus, along with Members of the CBC and Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee to introduce a resolution censuring President Trump for his racist "shithole" comments.

At the press conference, Rep. Nadler delivered the following remarks:

“Donald Trump’s history of divisive, bigoted, and racist remarks is nothing new – goes back a long way, from his discrimination towards minority tenants in New York City in the early 1970s, to his racist comments in a full page ad against the innocent Central Park 5 in the late 1980s.

“What makes this more dangerous now is that as President, Trump’s views and comments guide U.S. policy, and we MUST step up and speak out to prevent Trump’s racism and despicable rhetoric from defining who we are as a country, the way we deal with each other, and how we interact with the world.

“He knowingly and willingly associates and plays to extremist and divisive figures and rhetoric – seen throughout the campaign at his rallies, and in his appointment of people like Steve Bannon, Sebastian Gorka, and Stephen Miller, who help him appease the nationalist, alt-Right elements in his base and in our society.

“After Charlottesville and Trump’s comments failing to condemn the white supremacist neo-Nazi rally, blaming “both sides” for the violence, I introduced the first resolution of censure with House Judiciary Member Pramila Jayapal and CBC Member Bonnie Watson Coleman.  Congressman Meeks and I moved to censure Trump in November after the President re-tweeted a British ultra-nationalist propaganda video encouraging anti-immigrant hatred.  And now, after Trump’s latest remarks regarding American immigration policy towards Haiti, El Salvador, and African countries, Congress again is compelled to formally censure Donald Trump for his comments and to make clear that this is not the sanctioned policy or official position of the United States government.

“We need to be clear on what President Trump is doing here. He uses remarks like this to stir up peoples’ emotions; to play to his minority base of extremist supporters (i.e. Anne Coulter) who don’t want any solution for Dreamers and support the most nationalist, xenophobic and bigoted policies; and he wants to turn the subject away from other issues that show he is losing control as investigators close in, his influence diminishes, and his popularity continues to plummet.

“We are here today to fulfill Congress’s duty to officially condemn and separate itself and the U.S. government from President Trump’s racist remarks, and I am proud to be standing here with Chairman Richmond, the Congressional Black Caucus, every single Democratic Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and more than 130 of my colleagues to show that we will not stand quietly by and let this Administration continue to unravel our values and divide this country.”

###

Back to top