President Donald Trump's words are "dangerous," and Americans deserve better, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Thursday.
"The president's words are destructive," Rep. Jeffries told CNN's "New Day." "The president's words are divisive, and the American people deserve better from the individual who has the responsibility of trying to bring everyone together."
His comments came after Trump supporters in North Carolina chanted "send her back" during Trump's speech, referring to Somalia-born Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. Trump later Thursday renounced the chants.
Democrats have denounced Trump for the comments he has made about four progressive congresswomen, added Jeffries, and now are moving on to "do the business of the American people."
"Later on [Thursday] we are going to pass the Raise the Wage Act because the American people deserve a raise," Jeffries said. "There hasn't been an increase in the federal minimum wage in more than 10 years, while at the same time corporate profits are skyrocketing through the roof. We're going to continue to stand up for working families, middle-class folks, senior citizens, the poor, the sick, the afflicted."
Trump's conduct, however, is "reckless," Jeffries said, "because he's an ineffective individual. He is not getting the job done. His signature legislative accomplishment is to jam the GOP tax scam down the throats of the American people where 83% of the benefits went to the wealthiest 1%. He doesn't want to talk about this."
The minimum wage bill, meanwhile, will boost wages over time, which will be good for the economy, Jeffries said.
"When you put more money in the pockets of everyday Americans, you increase consumer demand," he said. "When you increase consumer demand, you increase spending. When you increase spending, you boost the economy."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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