Beto O’Rourke said that Trump tries to distract people from their daily lives with his racist attacks and threats of violence.
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Transcript via Meet The Press:
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CHUCK TODD:
I feel like this is a conundrum that faces many of you running for president, which is, on one hand, you see the president, in some ways, as an existential threat to the American story, our culture. So does it seems silly, at times, to be debating whether or not there should be a public option, when you feel as if the president is a bigger threat on other issues? Is that what’s made this campaign sometimes seem, seem tonally off for the entire, for the entire field, at times?
BETO O’ROURKE:
No. Because I’ll tell you, if we don’t deliver on universal, guaranteed, high-quality healthcare, on a minimum wage that’s a living wage, on paid family leave, on those issues that restore dignity to the lives of our fellow Americans, then we have not only failed them, we have provided fertile ground for the kind of demagogue that Donald Trump is, who will channel that anger and frustration at our government’s dysfunction, in our ability to get something done, against immigrants, as he’s done, warning of invasions and infestations and animals and predators, having somebody, at one of his rallies, say, “We should shoot them.” And the crowd roars their assent. And Donald Trump smiles because he doesn’t want you to focus on the fact that you’re working two or three jobs right now just to make ends meet, or that you live in the wealthiest country on the face of the planet, but you can’t afford to take care of your diabetes. Yes, Democrats have to address those issues and deliver on those issues. But we also have to call out the existential threat, to use the word that you just employed, that Donald Trump represents right now. Not only are we going to lose more lives, I’m confident that we will lose this country and our democracy, the longer he stays in office. So that is the urgency behind what I’m talking about.
It is a balancing act for Democrats, who have to both provide the moral leadership that Trump lacks and the policy solutions for the people that Trump has abused or neglected as president. It is important to highlight Trump’s racism and calls for violence, but that’s not the only thing for Democrats to do. They must also lay out a vision for healthcare, jobs, the economy, ending the trade war, and rebuilding America’s foreign policy strength.
Trump doesn’t want voters to think about how he has made their lives worse. The president wants voters to blame immigrants or Democrats for their problems. Voters were not fooled in 2018, and if they stay focused on 2020, they’ll get their country back.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
