Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton criticized calls for civility from conservatives as Trump officials face public harassment over the administration’s immigration policies.
In an interview published on Friday in the British newspaper The Guardian, Clinton accused the right of “bothsideism,” arguing it is hypocritical for Trump officials to be treated civilly in public while the government separates children from their purported parents who illegally crossed through the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Oh, give me a break,” Clinton snapped when asked about calls for civility. “Give me a break! What is more uncivil and cruel than taking children away? It should be met with resolve and strength. And if some of that comes across as a little uncivil, well, children’s lives are at stake; their futures are at stake. That is that ridiculous concept of bothsideism.”
“‘Well, you know, somebody made an insulting, profane remark about President Trump, and he separated 2,300 children from their families, that’s both sides, and we should stop being uncivil – oh and, by the way, he should stop separating children.’ Give me a break, really,” an angry Clinton continued. “I mean, this is a crisis of his making that will damage kids for no good reason at all, and I think everybody should be focused on that until the children are reunited.”
Clinton’s remarks follow a string of incidents involving the public harassment of top Trump administration officials.
Last weekend, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders was ordered to leave the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Virginia because she worked for President Trump.
“Last night I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington, VA to leave because I work for @POTUS and I politely left,”Sanders revealed in a tweet. Her actions say far more about her than about me. I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so.”
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) has been roundly criticized by Republicans and Democrats for encouraging public harassment of Trump administration officials. The California Democrat urged her supporters to “create a crowd,” and “push back,” against members of the administration. “You tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere,” she ordered.
In an interview with MSNBC, Waters doubled down on her remarks.
“I have no sympathy for these people that are in this administration who know it’s wrong for what they’re doing on so many fronts,” said Waters. “They tend to not want to confront this president or even leave, but they know what they’re doing is wrong.”
“I want to tell you, these members of his cabinet who remain and try to defend him, they won’t be able to go to a restaurant, they won’t be able to stop at a gas station, they’re not going to be able to shop at a department store. The people are going to turn on them,” the Congressional Black Caucus member added.
“They’re going to protest. They’re absolutely going to harass them until they decide that they’re going to tell the president, ‘No, I can’t hang with you.’
The heated rhetoric from the left has prompted other Trump administration officials to be confronted.
Far-left activists last Friday demonstrated outside Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen’s Alexandria home, protesting the Trump administration’s now-halted family separation border policy.
Protestors chanted “free the kids” and“no justice, no sleep,” reported Philip Lewis of the Huffington Post. Others held signs bearing Nielsen’s likeness that read: “CHILD SNATCHER.”