Rep. Nancy Pelosi is defending the violent gang MS-13 after President Trump on Wednesday called them "animals."
The House Democratic leader struck a theological note, saying each gang member possesses a "spark of divinity."
"We believe, some of us who are attracted to the political arena, to government and public service, that we are all God's children, there is a spark of divinity in all people on earth," Pelosi said at a press conference Thursday. "And as we recognize our responsibilities with that spark, that divinity within us."
While Trump was specifically referring to MS-13 gang members when he spoke of "animals," Pelosi broadened the characterization to all illegal immigrants.
"And so when the president of the United States says, about undocumented immigrants, 'these aren't people, these are animals,' you have to wonder, does he not believe in the spark of divinity? The dignity and worth of every person?" Pelosi said.
Here's a complete transcript of her comments:
But since you brought up the subject of immigration again, it reminds me that — and as I was talking about the religious
groups and how they’re concerned about feeding hungry and Gospel of Matthew and the rest, 41 million people in our country are food-insecure. We believe that some of us who are attracted to the public arena or to government and public service, that we’re all God’s children, there’s a spark of divinity in every person on Earth and that we all have to recognize that as we respect the dignity and worth of every person, and as we recognize our responsibilities with that spark, that divinity within us.
And so when the President of the United States says about undocumented immigrants, ‘These aren’t people, these are animals,’ you have to wonder, does he not believe in the spark of divinity, the dignity and worth of every person? ‘These are not people, these are animals’ — the president of the United States.
Every day that you think you’ve seen it all, along comes another manifestation of why their policies are so inhumane and why we have to continue the debate striving for bipartisanship, with openness about what is at stake and what the choices are and to be unifying in every way possible. Calling people animals is not a good thing.
Thank you. Bye-bye.