CHICAGO – The Hands Off Chicago coalition – supported by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights, Indivisible Chicago, Personal PAC, Equality Illinois, Sierra Club Illinois, the Illinois AFL-CIO, and the Chicago Federation of Labor – released the following statement in response to Trump’s State of the Union address:
“Tonight’s State of the Union was a painful reminder of how disconnected the president is from the reality facing our country. Donald Trump has failed to unify this nation and has consequently made us less equitable, less prosperous, and less safe.
“While the president rambled for nearly two hours about his supposed ‘successes,’ families across the country continue to bear the consequences of his disastrous policies. Surrounded by his army of unqualified grifters including Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller, Kash Patel, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump is gaslighting the public, denying the rising cost of essentials and ignoring the violent chaos federal agents are creating in our streets. We know the truth because our communities are living the horrific reality of this racist regime everyday.
“Poll after poll shows distrust in the government and disapproval of Trump’s actions. People across the country are worried about affordability, the relentless attacks on our democracy, neighbors being disappeared, and seeing the United States become a global punchline instead of a global leader. Instead of investing tax dollars in healthcare and infrastructure, the Trump administration is wasting billions on reckless immigration attacks on American cities. Tonight’s campaign speech failed to meet the urgency of this moment. Instead, we heard an unhinged man stoke division and wallow in petty grievances.
“With every minute of distortion and hateful rhetoric, we became more resolved in our commitment to peacefully fight back: hands off our neighbors, hands off our bodies, hands off our democracy. That is why we will continue to organize together for our shared values in communities across our city and state, including at the next NO KINGS rally on March 28 at Butler Field in Chicago.
”To learn more about Hands Off Chicago, visit www.handsoffchicago.com.