President Donald Trump mocked Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) in a speech Tuesday for her comments about MS-13 gang members.
Pelosi said Trump was wrong to call MS-13 members "animals," even though they commit horrific crimes, because of the dignity that all humans have. Trump ridiculed her comments during his speech at the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life organization.
"Just the other day, Nancy Pelosi came out in favor of MS-13. That's the first time I've heard that," he said. "She wants them to be treated with respect, as do other Democrats. That's not going to be happening. We're not going to release violent criminals into our country."
Pelosi characterized Trump’s words as "tough talk" on Twitter Tuesday night and criticized him for the DHS’s policy to detain parents who come over the border illegally, separating them from their children.
Tough talk from a man separating innocent children from their parents https://t.co/vregqsTtVn
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) May 23, 2018
Numerous media outlets had reported Trump calling "immigrants" animals, although he was talking about MS-13 members, but Pelosi's point was that no human beings should be called "animals."
"Calling people animals is not a good thing," Pelosi said.
"We all have to recognize that as we respect the dignity and worth of every person," she added.
Trump decried Democrats' position on immigration, likening it to open borders, and also expressing his support for fighting crime and strengthening national defense.
"We will be appealing to voters all across America who previously sent a Democrat to Washington only to discover they elected a proxy vote for [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi," Trump said. "These are people that don't believe in borders, don't believe in fighting crime, don't believe in a strong military."