The Shadow
A Golden Speech and Examples of Rudeness
On March 4, I witnessed President Trump deliver his Joint Address to Congress.
This was his first speech at the U.S. Capitol since his inauguration.
In that inaugural speech, Trump proclaimed the Golden Age of America begins right now.
During his Joint Address, he struck a similar tune.
The Golden Age of America consists of numerous Administration policies and goals, some of
which are already seeing success.
Trump touted the border security measures his Administration has implemented. In just six
weeks, the number of encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border has dramatically plummeted.
According to CBS News, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded 8,450 apprehensions in
February.
In February of 2024 under Biden, Border Patrol recorded more than 140,000 apprehensions!
Even U.S. Senator Mark Warner went on Fox Business to say that Trump made great progress to
secure the border (though he would backtrack on MSNBC).
Trump rightly proved that all we needed to secure the border was a new president.
A new president is also needed to reverse the inflationary policies of the Biden Administration.
As grocery prices, fuel costs and the cost of living skyrocketed, it was clear that Biden policies,
including the “green new deal”, contributed to the economic pain in our homes and communities.
Such policies included halting the approval of new liquified natural gas licenses and even killing
the Keystone XL Pipeline.
On Day One, Trump declared a national energy emergency to undo the damage done by Biden’s
green new deal policies.
The impacts of these Trump energy policies will not be felt right away. In fact, it may take over a
year for us to see the results. But Trump’s energy policy is aimed at restoring our economy and
putting more money into your pocketbook.
Another major Trump talking point was rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in federal programs.
Look no further than the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The federal agency has been caught red-handed in funneling millions of dollars all over the
world for leftist pet projects.
Some projects include:
– Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) scholarships in Burma
(Even though the U.S. State Department continues to officially recognize the country as
Burma, the country calls itself Myanmar, and according to the State Department’s
website, the USAID mission in Burma closed in 1989. It’s a totalitarian regime that has
little regard for its minority population. Having traveled there, I doubt any Christian
Karen minority or Rohingya Muslim minority members ever saw a penny of this money.)
– Journalism efforts promoting non-binary language in Sri Lanka
– Male circumcision in Mozambique
– Election initiatives in India, Moldova and Liberia
– And the list goes on and on
While most American taxpayers do not mind helping starving children and communities, they
did not consent their funds to be used for such outrageous programs.
Trump rightly discussed some of those programs in his Joint Address to Congress.
As I sat in the House chamber during Trump’s Address, I was surprised by the reaction of my
Democratic colleagues.
To start the night, Texas Representative Al Green disrupted the beginning of Trump’s remarks
by standing up and yelling at Trump.
Speaker Johnson repeatedly asked Representative Green to respect the decorum of the House.
When it was clear Green wouldn’t relent, the Speaker instructed the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove
Green from the floor.
I voted days later to censure Green for his intentional staged misconduct. Some of his
Democratic colleagues joined Republicans in the censure vote.
Democratic disrespect did not end there.
When First Lady Melania Trump was recognized, I saw nobody from the Democratic side stand
up and applaud.
It is a fairly standard practice for both parties to express respect to the first lady, regardless of
political affiliation.
Other individuals who received a cold shoulder from Democrats were an American hostage
returned home from Russia and a child survivor of brain cancer.
Additionally, the widow of a New York police officer killed by an illegal alien, the family of
Laken Riley, and the mother of a 12-year-old girl killed by two illegal aliens did not receive
much of a welcome reception either from Democrats.
The deaths of these individuals are all heartbreaking, and for Democrats to dismiss their tragic
experiences is disappointing to see.
While I may vehemently disagree with Democratic tactics and policies, I will continue to
celebrate policies that bring good to the American people and contribute to America’s Golden
Age.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at morgangriffith.house.gov.
