Angel Families Celebrate with President as He Signs First Veto to Secure Border

President Donald Trump listens as Mary Ann Mendoza, an "Angel Mom" who lost her
AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Angel families celebrated in the Oval Office with law enforcement and President Donald Trump as he signed his first veto to retain his border emergency declaration Friday.

Angel mom Mary Ann Mendoza spoke to the president, sheriffs and law enforcement gathered in the room, and to the television cameras. She told of her Mesa, Arizona, Police Officer son Brandon Mendoza who was killed by a repeat criminal illegal alien and told Americans why the angel parents fight to speak out about the emergency at the U.S. southern border.

Mendoza spoke directly to the cameras, then as she concluded turned to the president to thank him and shake his hand for keeping his promises:

Angel families come forward to tell their stories not because we’ve created a manufactured crisis, but because we want to tell the American people and share with you our heartache and let you know what is happening on our doorsteps, what’s happening to your neighbors, what’s happening to your fellow Americans, and there is a way to prevent this and it’s not by continually lying to you and telling you that there isn’t a problem. There is a problem. It’s a national emergency and thank you for following through on your promises.

Trump called the resolution Congress passed Thursday in an attempt to halt his national emergency declaration, a “dangerous resolution that if signed into law would put countless Americans in danger, very grave danger.”

“To ensure the safety and security of all Americans, I will be signing and issuing a formal veto of this reckless resolution and that’s what it was,” said Trump. 

The president called those votes to stop his border emergency declaration, “a vote against reality.” He called the situation at the U.S. southern border a an “invasion” with the flow of drugs coming in.

Vice President Mike Pence referenced the angel parents and families as he told the president, “You’re keeping your word by vetoing this legislation.”

“Let’s get this signed right? On behalf of your great loved ones, right?” the president said to angel families.

“They will not have died in vain.” These were among president Trump’s last words to angel families before signing the veto. He recalled the angel families telling him on the 2016 campaign trail that he would win the presidential election and their children will not have died in vain.

The president handed the pen used to sign to veto to an angel parent. 

“We’re building a lot of wall right now,” said Trump.

“You’re strong people, you’re strong and you’re proud,” president Trump told the angel families, as he expressed his gratitude to them.

Angel families in attendance included angel moms Sabine Durden, Mary Ann Mendoza, and Laura Wilkerson; angel dad Steve Ronnebeck and Tom Murphy, and angel brother Kent Terry.

Michelle Moons is a White House Correspondent for Breitbart News — follow on Twitter @MichelleDiana and Facebook

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.