CNN anchor Don Lemon and MSNBC anchor Craig Melvin interviewed Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D., Ill.) Tuesday and Wednesday and didn't ask about personal attacks he made toward White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.
Gutiérrez called Kelly a hypocrite and a disgrace to the military uniform after the Trump administration announced Tuesday it would wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigrant amnesty program. DACA shielded young illegal immigrants, first brought to the country with their families, from deportation.
"General Kelly is a hypocrite who is a disgrace to the uniform he used to wear," Gutiérrez said in a statement. "He has no honor and should be drummed out of the White House along with the white supremacists and those enabling the President’s actions by ‘just following orders.’"
Kelly's relationship with the military uniform extends beyond himself. In addition to being a retired four-star general, is also a Gold Star father; his son was killed fighting in Afghanistan.
Gutiérrez added that Kelly lied to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which Gutiérrez is a member of, about deporting the so-called "dreamers" protected under DACA.
"General Kelly, when he was the head of Homeland Security, lied straight to the faces of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus about preventing the mass deportation of DREAMer. Now as Chief of Staff, this former general is executing the plan to take away their lifeline and taking steps to criminalize young people who live and work here legally," Gutiérrez said.
The Trump administration has argued that Congress is responsible for passing immigration law, and the DACA executive order was not constitutional. In announcing the program's cancellation Tuesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the Obama initiative an "unconstitutional exercise of authority by the executive branch." White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday it is now the responsibility of Congress to address the issue lawfully, and take legislative action to address DACA recipients.
Lemon and Melvin interviewed Gutiérrez after he released the statement criticizing Kelly, and neither asked the congressman about his controversial comments. Both anchors did ask the lawmaker questions regarding DACA, primary focused on the potential negative impacts on dreamers, and the criticism directed at the Trump administration.
The questions Lemon asked:
1.) Here is a statement from the White House about DACA. It says, "as president, my highest duty is to defend the American people and the Constitution of the United States of America. At the same time, I do not favor punishing children, most of whom are now adults for the actions of their parents, but we must also recognize that we are a nation of opportunity because we are a nation of laws." So, representative, is the president forgetting that we are a country of immigrants, a melting pot, so to speak, or as we say in Louisiana, a "gumbo?"
2.) Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg released a statement. Tim Cook released a statement. Goldman Sachs, Disney, Bloomberg, Google, JP Morgan, and on and on, saying dreamers are our neighbors, our friends, our coworkers and this is their home. Very similar statements. I have got to ask you this: You called this the president's most dangerous and damaging act yet. Explain why you say ending DACA is another step toward this administration openly endorsing – and this is you – "white supremacy."
The questions Melvin asked:
1.) Congressman, I want to show all of our viewers and listeners this. This is the latest data from the government. It shows that your state has the fourth-most dreamers in this country. More than 79,000. What's been the reaction in the district so far?
2.) You're willing to shut down the government for the dreamers?
3.) Here's something that some House Republicans have toyed with, it would seem; they have suggested that if Democrats want a bill to save the dreamers, they may have to agree on money for President Trump's border wall. The president's wall for the dreamers, is that a solution that's possible?