U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva doesn’t want to talk about the 2016 elections any more. The time for picking apart what Democrats could have done differently to help Hillary Clinton win is over.
Talking to about 120 people at the Democrats of Greater Tucson meeting on Monday, the seven-term Democrat sought to energize locals frustrated with national politics.
“In the last 30 days, (President) Trump has attempted to steer our nation and subvert our democracy by a perverse definition of nationalism. That is us versus them. That is their fault. We wouldn’t be in this shape as a country and that we could be greater if we deal with them,” he said. “And the definition of ‘them’ can be up to Trump.”
The 69-year-old Democrat, who represents Congressional District 3, immediately clarified who is “them” — listing Planned Parenthood, Muslims, journalists and immigrants as enemies in Trump’s eyes.
“He tells one horrific lie after another,” Grijalva said of Trump.
Grijalva also weighed in on Trump’s attacks on the press, echoing comments made by Arizona Sen. John McCain over the weekend.
“As an elected official for as long as I want to remember, I’ve had this interesting love-hate relationship with the press,” he said. “I hate it when they report on something I don’t want to be reported or a position I took that I don’t want repeated over and over again. But I love ‘em when I get to know about everybody else.”
“That is an essential check and balance of our government. The Fourth Estate is there for a purpose, to make sure the public’s right to know is satisfied and the abuses that can occur and have occurred are both exposed and are dealt with,” Grijalva said. “That is the most vital check and balance right now.”
While Trump dominates the headlines, Grijalva warned the audience to keep their eyes on Congress and state legislatures. The president can act but only with help from like-minded members of the GOP.
“Donald Trump was nursed and now is being nurtured by the Republican Party,” Grijalva said.
Those comments extended further, with Grijalva specifically mentioning Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.
“Medicare cannot go away without Ducey’s compliance. The National Guard cannot be called to the board in Arizona without Ducey’s compliance. The privatization and dismantling of public education in Arizona cannot happen without Ducey and the Legislature’s compliance,” he said.
Plus, he argues, many of the big policy changes won’t happen with sweeping presidential actions or policy changes. They will occur incrementally.
He also offered some advice to Republican U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, who represents District 2, after an audience member asked if he had ever tried to “enlighten her.”
Grijalva was quick to praise his congressional colleague, but his reading of the political tea leaves suggests she has important decisions ahead of her.
“(Republicans) are facing some consequential political decisions that they have to make,” he said. “I am not in her shoes ... but the decisions you are going to make in the next two or three months are really going to write the script on how the election goes.”
Near the end of his speech, Grijalva had some advice for his party.
He said he believes that Democrats have the ability to reset the country’s moral compass through various forms of political action. And he asked that any protests be done peacefully, no matter how heated political passions become.
He also vowed to help take back Congress in the next mid-term election.
