WASHINGTON – This morning, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joined MSNBC’s Morning Joe to discuss national security, Trump’s failures on the border and economy, and how he will focus on lowering costs for everyday Americans.
Below are some key points:
On National Security and Ukraine:
“Trump is quickly moving from not just a strained relationship with Ukraine but a strained relationship with all our allies. […] They’re going to actively hurt and weaken United States national security all around the world. We’re only strong as long as we have strong allies around us.”
“We need to give and empower Ukraine [with] the ability for them to actually absolutely destroy Russia, because destroying Russia means that the rest of Western Europe is secure, too.”
“[Trump is] more willing to be bullies to our friends than to actual bullies, because he’s a weak man at the core. He’s afraid of people like Putin. […] This is the type of person he is. Bullies can never stand up to people that are stronger than them.”
On Border Security:
“In some regards [Arizonans] were voting for more border security and they did believe, that there are people in this country that are criminals that are actually dangerous, that should be deported. What they don’t want is mass deportations, they don’t want families separated, and they certainly don’t believe at all that ending birthright citizenship is in the best interest or the values of this country. What I do hear when I go home and I speak to everyday Americans, Arizonans, is that. they are mad that there is no concentration on what they thought was going to happen. A president that said, I’m going to take care of you, I’m going to bring down the cost of everything, I’m going to make your life better. And they have not seen it after one month. Everything they’re seeing right now is in benefit to the rich.”
On Lowering the Cost of Living:
“What people want right now are to bring down the cost of everything – eggs, housing, everything that’s happening right now. The president’s doing everything but actually dealing with what people voted for him to do, which is bring down the cost of living. He’s not doing it because he has zero interest in doing so. He’s going to go and mess around and keep distracting us. at the end of the day, prices of eggs are still going up, apartments are still very expensive, you can’t buy a house.”
On the Upcoming Senate Budget Resolution:
“[The budget resolution] that Republicans are introducing will not do anything to benefit everyday Americans. It is a series of tax cuts for the rich. They’re cutting Medicaid. they’re looking at cutting Medicare. These are the words that were basically a 24-hour turnaround for what the president said he was not going to touch either.”