By PoliZette Staff | February 6, 2019
Following the lead of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and other Democrats remained seated and stone-faced for much of President Donald Trump’s stirring second State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night — even when the president talked about historic low unemployment rates in this country for many minorities and even when he shared other economic gains made over the past two years during his presidency.
The behavior by the white-wearing Democrats in Congress was widely noticed — and is still a hot subject of discussion on Wednesday.
Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan called out the young New York lawmaker for her behavior on Tuesday night — and let’s just say she didn’t like that too much.
Noonan tweeted, in part, that the 29-year-old Democrat looked “sullen, teenaged and at a loss” on Tuesday night, even when the president discussed low unemployment numbers and America’s efforts to cure AIDS and stop sex traffickers.
And good natured with the white jackets, who I see some on twitter are calling the straight jackets. AOC had a rare bad night, looking not spirited, warm and original as usual but sullen, teenaged and at a loss. 2.
— Peggy Noonan (@Peggynoonannyc) February 6, 2019
This has been a deeply adept speech in terms of policy. He cut to the muscle on legal and illegal immigration, on abortion and infanticide, on foreign wars. His vow on socialism will be remembered. Great heroes in the balcony, a real American panoply. 1
— Peggy Noonan (@Peggynoonannyc) February 6, 2019
Ocasio-Cortez replied to the jab with her own commentary.
“Why should I be ‘spirited and warm’ for this embarrassment of a SOTU tonight? Tonight was an unsettling night for our country. The president failed to offer any plan, any vision at all, for our future,” she wrote, in part.
“We’re flying without a pilot. And I‘m not here to comfort anyone about that fact,” she added.
Why should I be “spirited and warm” for this embarrassment of a #SOTU?
Tonight was an unsettling night for our country. The president failed to offer any plan, any vision at all, for our future.
We’re flying without a pilot. And I‘m not here to comfort anyone about that fact. https://t.co/7bu3QXFMnC
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 6, 2019
Others on Twitter have gone after Ocasio-Cortez and others for the sullen behavior.
I am speechless. @AOC stood up but would not clap for women being freed from sex trafficking. Imagine your partisanship being so strong you can’t clap for that. #SOTU
— Lauren Cooley (@laurenacooley) February 6, 2019
I wish Trump would’ve stayed on abortion a little longer. Really make it clear that the Democrats sitting stone faced are for the brutal killing of newborns while pretending to care about the marginalized.
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) February 6, 2019
Nancy and the white pant suit crew can’t even applaud low black and Hispanic unemployment. Are they against that now? Low unemployment is good still, right?!
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) February 6, 2019
Peggy Noonan says Ocasio-Cortez has ‘rare bad night,’ freshman rep responds
Because she was brought up in the gimme everything for doing nothing generation. So she thinks everything that is not handed to her is wrong. https://t.co/klbZuIct9S
— Brian Ferguson (@BrianFe29080081) February 6, 2019
The resistance from Democrats is disappointing but not surprising.
Even before Trump delivered his speech, 2020 hopeful Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said, “We will hear insincere appeals to unity.”
Related: Trump Delivers State of the Union Amid Stark Political Divide
Trump also took swipes at the increasingly far-Left movement of many Democrats in Congress.
“America was founded on liberty and independence, and not government coercion, domination and control. We are born free and we will stay free.”
He received warm applause for that line from most, but not all, in the room.
Related: Trump Says Congress Has a ‘Moral Duty’ to Address National Crisis at the Border
“Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country,” Trump added — while Pelosi remained stone-faced right behind him.
Television viewers at home then saw a tight camera shot of a clearly frowning Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — an avowed socialist.
In SOTU, @realDonaldTrump blasted socialism to the faces of Bernie Sanders and his philosophical great-granddaughter, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "We renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country!” Bernie looked like he’d just downed a mustard milkshake.
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) February 6, 2019
Bernie Sanders' reaction to Trump denouncing socialism at #SOTU ? pic.twitter.com/17ycbPXhxG
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) February 6, 2019
Other Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), managed to applaud the line.
Watch this video — and share your thoughts below.
This piece originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
Read more at LifeZette.com:
Hollywood Reacts to Trump’s State of the Union: ‘Murdering Clown Buffoon’
Hollywood Conservatives React to Trump’s State of the Union: ‘Awesome’
Stacey Abrams, in SOTU Rebuttal, Rejects Trump’s ‘Unifying Agenda’