The issue of illegal immigrant children and parents being separated at the border under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy has further polarized the already heated political debate in America, and things are starting to get personal.
Several Trump supporting public figures and senior members of the administration have been publicly shamed over their role in the policy and even their participation in the Administration. Protesters have proven that they’re out to challenge Trump’s officials; let’s have a look at a few recent incidents.
Sarah Huckabee-Sanders
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders has received a lot of flak for the job she does, from being “fat shamed” on Saturday Night Live to the unflattering portrait by Jim Carrey. This time, Sanders wasn’t merely insulted by media personalities, she was refused service at the Red Hen restaurant in Virginia. The staff reportedly took a vote on whether to serve Sanders and decided to instead ask her to leave. Stephanie Wilkinson, the owner of the restaurant, said that she took Sanders outside and "explained that the restaurant has certain standards that I feel it has to uphold, such as honesty, and compassion, and cooperation." We may assume that serving Sanders did not fit in with these standards.
Sanders later tweeted that she politely left when asked and that “I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so.” The incident has sparked a debate on the right of a business owner to judge customers on the basis of their political allegiance, including a thoughtful piece by Liberty Nation’s Graham J. Noble.
In what is likely to degenerate into a downward spiral of abuse, Wilkinson has been “doxxed” in revenge, meaning her home address and phone number have been posted online. Although one Twitter user reported that Wilkinson’s mailbox was full, LN cannot verify that the provided contact details are accurate, and will not be adding a link to that particular piece of information.
Kirstjen Nielsen
Kirstjen Nielsen
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen quickly became one of America’s most reviled public officials after holding a press conference where she defended the procedures surrounding separation of illegal immigrant families detained at the border. When Nielsen dined at a Mexican restaurant recently, she was confronted not by the restaurant staff, but by protesters from the Metro D.C. branch of the Democratic Socialists of America, who congregated inside the establishment – the group didn’t seem to consider how the disturbance may have affected the other diners or restaurant staff.
The protesters booed Nielsen, chanted “shame,” and shouted things like "No borders! No walls! Sanctuary for all!" The disturbance continued for ten minutes or so, before Nielsen discreetly left the venue. That was not the end for her, however. She was later harassed at her home, when another group of protesters – this time from the group CASA in Action, an organization that advocates for Latinos and immigrants – assembled on Nielsen’s front lawn, playing audio of detained children and holding signs calling her a “child snatcher.”
Stephen Miller
Mexican cuisine must be a popular choice among government employees because Stephen Miller was also shouted at while eating at a Mexican restaurant before protesters turned up at his residence. Miller was recognized by a fellow diner at the eatery, who reportedly decided to shout, “Hey look guys, whoever thought we’d be in a restaurant with a real-life fascist begging [for] money for new cages?”
Miller is a senior advisor with the Trump administration who was instrumental in the family separation policy, as well as other controversial policies, such as the Trump travel ban and a scaling back of refugee admittance into the U.S.
Protesters later defaced Miller’s apartment building with “wanted” posters, pronouncing him guilty of “promoting Nazi, White Supremacist and Islamophobic ideologies.” A group of protesters also stood outside his building, chanting “immigrants are welcome here.”
Pam Bondi
Pam Bondi
Florida Attorney general Pam Bondi went to see the movie Won’t You Be My Neighbor, a documentary about children's TV personality Mister Rogers. Rogers says in the movie trailer that, “the greatest thing we can do is to help somebody know that they’re loved and capable of loving,” but Bondi wasn’t feeling the love that evening as she was escorted from the building by police after being booed by protesters from the group Organize Florida. The protesters spontaneously got together after somebody recognized Bondi, according to a member of the group.
Unlike the other officials, Bondi has not been directly involved in the “zero tolerance” episode, but protesters objected to her overall support of the Trump administration.
How Far Will This Go?
Members of Congress recently celebrated as Republican Rep. Steve Scalise managed to play in the annual congressional baseball game, after being shot while training for the 2017 event. Scalise and four others were injured when a politically motivated gunman opened fire in an “act of terrorism” “fueled by rage against Republican legislators.” Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters has already encouraged further confrontation. While most protesters are not aggressive lunatics, how long will it be until violence breaks out again?
It is both inaccurate and unwise to call President Trump or his officials “Nazi,” “Hitler,” or “fascist,” but that is increasingly the stance of social justice warriors who oppose the administration, and they are now using the perceived human rights violation of family separation to back up their opinions. Imagine if you were in a restaurant and you saw the actual “literal Hitler” and his senior staff sitting in the flesh, across the room, tucking into dinner. What would you consider the appropriate course of action?
