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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday announced it was joining the probe into the disturbing death of Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old black woman who died in police custody in Texas on Monday.
An investigation was launched on Wednesday by the Texas Rangers, a branch of the state's Department of Public Safety, after a campaign spread demanding answers about the young woman's death under the hashtag #WhatHappenedToSandraBland.
Bland, who had just moved to Texas from Naperville, Illinois for a new job at her alma mater of Prairie View A&M University, was arrested July 10 for an alleged assault on an officer during a traffic stop and detained in Waller County Jail. After three days behind bars, Bland was dead in her cell.
Authorities said her death was a suicide. But those who knew Bland said it was "unfathomable" that Bland would harm herself.
Friends and family have said they believe her death was a case of foul play in an area with a deeply prejudiced history. A former Waller County judge, DeWayne Charleston, described it as "the most racist county in the state of Texas."
At a press conference in Chicago on Thursday, family members said they would be traveling to Texas to meet with the investigators.
"To know Sandy was to love her," said her sister, Sharon Cooper. "It is unimaginable and difficult for us to wrap our minds around."
In an interview with Democracy Now! on Friday, Cooper said, "Each one of us feels like we lost a part of ourself. And it's hard. It's going to be hard for a very long time."
During the same interview, Bland's friend Cheryl Nanton said, "I do suspect there was foul play, and I believe that we all are 100 percent in belief that she did not do harm to herself."
"We're very suspicious," added another friend, LaVaughn Mosely. "And we're a very tight community, and we're very upset that this is happening, and it seems like there's nothing really being done about it."
The call for justice was amplified after cell phone footage emerged showing a portion of Bland's arrest and brutal treatment by Texas state troopers.
In the video, Bland can be heard telling her arresting officer, "You just slammed my head into the ground, do you not even care about that? I can't even hear! You slammed me into the ground and everything!" As the officer takes her to the patrol car, Bland thanks the bystander who filmed her arrest.
Shauna Dunlap, a spokesperson for the Houston chapter of the FBI, told the Houston Chronicle on Thursday that the agency would look at the data compiled during the local inquiry and "if warranted could pursue a federal investigation."
"I talked to her Friday and she was in good spirits," Mosely told USA Today on Friday. "Although she was incarcerated she was in good spirits. She was looking forward to posting bond Saturday and getting out. So you don't go from that to hanging yourself."
Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis said his office was "actively consulting with and monitoring the investigation being conducted by the Texas Rangers into Ms. Bland's death. Once the investigation is complete the matter will be turned over to a Waller County grand jury for any further proceedings deemed appropriate by them."
Bland was an activist with the Black Lives Matter movement, producing a series of videos entitled "Sandy Speaks" in which she discussed her experiences of racism and the continuing fight for justice. In a clip shown on Democracy Now!, Bland stated, "For those of you questioning why was he running away, well, [bleep], because in the news that we've seen as of late, you could stand there, surrender to the cops and still be killed."
The system of "cradle to grave racism" previously described by Judge Charleston is also present in its jails. Juan Thompson at The Interceptlooked in-depth at the similarities between Bland's death and that of James Harper Howell IV, detained at Waller County Jail in 2012. Like Bland, Howell was arrested violently and died in his cell under suspicious circumstances. Like Bland, officials termed it a suicide.
As Bland's story unfolded and the history of Waller County came to light, Twitter users launched the hashtag #IfIDieInPoliceCustody to highlight and dispel the oft-used narratives that follow the deaths of unarmed black men and women that occur in police custody:
\u201c#IfIDieInPoliceCustody I did not kill myself. I did not resist arrest. I did not reach for a weapon. I was not disrespectful.\u201d— cosmic (\u25d5\u03c9\u25d5\u273f) (@cosmic (\u25d5\u03c9\u25d5\u273f)) 1437153880
\u201c#IfIDieInPoliceCustody question everything. Don't believe a word they say. Demand the truth by any means necessary.\u201d— Johnetta Elzie (@Johnetta Elzie) 1437099522
\u201c#IfIDieInPoliceCustody raise hell. Just know I didn't resist nor was I armed.\u201d— \ud835\udcd1\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcf8\ud835\udcec\ud835\udcf4\ud835\udcea \ud835\udcd5\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcf8\ud835\udcec\ud835\udcf4\ud835\udcea \ud835\udcd5\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcea\ud835\udcf6\ud835\udcee \ud83e\uddc1 (@\ud835\udcd1\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcf8\ud835\udcec\ud835\udcf4\ud835\udcea \ud835\udcd5\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcf8\ud835\udcec\ud835\udcf4\ud835\udcea \ud835\udcd5\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcea\ud835\udcf6\ud835\udcee \ud83e\uddc1) 1437058431
\u201c#IfIDieInPoliceCustody know that I was afraid and the officer was not.\u201d— Dionna King (@Dionna King) 1437155079
Kerry McLean, a human rights lawyer based in New York City, said Bland's death was "unfortunately all too familiar to African Americans. There have been [instances] of Blacks mysteriously dying while in police custody for generations. Sandra Bland's death is a reminder for some that even if you are a woman, or upwardly mobile, ultimately all that matters to the police is your Blackness. Respectability will not save you."
Invoking the names of several other black women who died in police custody, McLean concluded, "We need justice. For Sandra Bland, for Kindra Chapman, for Sheneque Proctor and so many more. We need an end to racist police violence."
In another video on her Facebook page, Bland states plainly, "Being a black person in America is very, very hard. Black lives matter. They matter."
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday announced it was joining the probe into the disturbing death of Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old black woman who died in police custody in Texas on Monday.
An investigation was launched on Wednesday by the Texas Rangers, a branch of the state's Department of Public Safety, after a campaign spread demanding answers about the young woman's death under the hashtag #WhatHappenedToSandraBland.
Bland, who had just moved to Texas from Naperville, Illinois for a new job at her alma mater of Prairie View A&M University, was arrested July 10 for an alleged assault on an officer during a traffic stop and detained in Waller County Jail. After three days behind bars, Bland was dead in her cell.
Authorities said her death was a suicide. But those who knew Bland said it was "unfathomable" that Bland would harm herself.
Friends and family have said they believe her death was a case of foul play in an area with a deeply prejudiced history. A former Waller County judge, DeWayne Charleston, described it as "the most racist county in the state of Texas."
At a press conference in Chicago on Thursday, family members said they would be traveling to Texas to meet with the investigators.
"To know Sandy was to love her," said her sister, Sharon Cooper. "It is unimaginable and difficult for us to wrap our minds around."
In an interview with Democracy Now! on Friday, Cooper said, "Each one of us feels like we lost a part of ourself. And it's hard. It's going to be hard for a very long time."
During the same interview, Bland's friend Cheryl Nanton said, "I do suspect there was foul play, and I believe that we all are 100 percent in belief that she did not do harm to herself."
"We're very suspicious," added another friend, LaVaughn Mosely. "And we're a very tight community, and we're very upset that this is happening, and it seems like there's nothing really being done about it."
The call for justice was amplified after cell phone footage emerged showing a portion of Bland's arrest and brutal treatment by Texas state troopers.
In the video, Bland can be heard telling her arresting officer, "You just slammed my head into the ground, do you not even care about that? I can't even hear! You slammed me into the ground and everything!" As the officer takes her to the patrol car, Bland thanks the bystander who filmed her arrest.
Shauna Dunlap, a spokesperson for the Houston chapter of the FBI, told the Houston Chronicle on Thursday that the agency would look at the data compiled during the local inquiry and "if warranted could pursue a federal investigation."
"I talked to her Friday and she was in good spirits," Mosely told USA Today on Friday. "Although she was incarcerated she was in good spirits. She was looking forward to posting bond Saturday and getting out. So you don't go from that to hanging yourself."
Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis said his office was "actively consulting with and monitoring the investigation being conducted by the Texas Rangers into Ms. Bland's death. Once the investigation is complete the matter will be turned over to a Waller County grand jury for any further proceedings deemed appropriate by them."
Bland was an activist with the Black Lives Matter movement, producing a series of videos entitled "Sandy Speaks" in which she discussed her experiences of racism and the continuing fight for justice. In a clip shown on Democracy Now!, Bland stated, "For those of you questioning why was he running away, well, [bleep], because in the news that we've seen as of late, you could stand there, surrender to the cops and still be killed."
The system of "cradle to grave racism" previously described by Judge Charleston is also present in its jails. Juan Thompson at The Interceptlooked in-depth at the similarities between Bland's death and that of James Harper Howell IV, detained at Waller County Jail in 2012. Like Bland, Howell was arrested violently and died in his cell under suspicious circumstances. Like Bland, officials termed it a suicide.
As Bland's story unfolded and the history of Waller County came to light, Twitter users launched the hashtag #IfIDieInPoliceCustody to highlight and dispel the oft-used narratives that follow the deaths of unarmed black men and women that occur in police custody:
\u201c#IfIDieInPoliceCustody I did not kill myself. I did not resist arrest. I did not reach for a weapon. I was not disrespectful.\u201d— cosmic (\u25d5\u03c9\u25d5\u273f) (@cosmic (\u25d5\u03c9\u25d5\u273f)) 1437153880
\u201c#IfIDieInPoliceCustody question everything. Don't believe a word they say. Demand the truth by any means necessary.\u201d— Johnetta Elzie (@Johnetta Elzie) 1437099522
\u201c#IfIDieInPoliceCustody raise hell. Just know I didn't resist nor was I armed.\u201d— \ud835\udcd1\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcf8\ud835\udcec\ud835\udcf4\ud835\udcea \ud835\udcd5\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcf8\ud835\udcec\ud835\udcf4\ud835\udcea \ud835\udcd5\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcea\ud835\udcf6\ud835\udcee \ud83e\uddc1 (@\ud835\udcd1\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcf8\ud835\udcec\ud835\udcf4\ud835\udcea \ud835\udcd5\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcf8\ud835\udcec\ud835\udcf4\ud835\udcea \ud835\udcd5\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcea\ud835\udcf6\ud835\udcee \ud83e\uddc1) 1437058431
\u201c#IfIDieInPoliceCustody know that I was afraid and the officer was not.\u201d— Dionna King (@Dionna King) 1437155079
Kerry McLean, a human rights lawyer based in New York City, said Bland's death was "unfortunately all too familiar to African Americans. There have been [instances] of Blacks mysteriously dying while in police custody for generations. Sandra Bland's death is a reminder for some that even if you are a woman, or upwardly mobile, ultimately all that matters to the police is your Blackness. Respectability will not save you."
Invoking the names of several other black women who died in police custody, McLean concluded, "We need justice. For Sandra Bland, for Kindra Chapman, for Sheneque Proctor and so many more. We need an end to racist police violence."
In another video on her Facebook page, Bland states plainly, "Being a black person in America is very, very hard. Black lives matter. They matter."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday announced it was joining the probe into the disturbing death of Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old black woman who died in police custody in Texas on Monday.
An investigation was launched on Wednesday by the Texas Rangers, a branch of the state's Department of Public Safety, after a campaign spread demanding answers about the young woman's death under the hashtag #WhatHappenedToSandraBland.
Bland, who had just moved to Texas from Naperville, Illinois for a new job at her alma mater of Prairie View A&M University, was arrested July 10 for an alleged assault on an officer during a traffic stop and detained in Waller County Jail. After three days behind bars, Bland was dead in her cell.
Authorities said her death was a suicide. But those who knew Bland said it was "unfathomable" that Bland would harm herself.
Friends and family have said they believe her death was a case of foul play in an area with a deeply prejudiced history. A former Waller County judge, DeWayne Charleston, described it as "the most racist county in the state of Texas."
At a press conference in Chicago on Thursday, family members said they would be traveling to Texas to meet with the investigators.
"To know Sandy was to love her," said her sister, Sharon Cooper. "It is unimaginable and difficult for us to wrap our minds around."
In an interview with Democracy Now! on Friday, Cooper said, "Each one of us feels like we lost a part of ourself. And it's hard. It's going to be hard for a very long time."
During the same interview, Bland's friend Cheryl Nanton said, "I do suspect there was foul play, and I believe that we all are 100 percent in belief that she did not do harm to herself."
"We're very suspicious," added another friend, LaVaughn Mosely. "And we're a very tight community, and we're very upset that this is happening, and it seems like there's nothing really being done about it."
The call for justice was amplified after cell phone footage emerged showing a portion of Bland's arrest and brutal treatment by Texas state troopers.
In the video, Bland can be heard telling her arresting officer, "You just slammed my head into the ground, do you not even care about that? I can't even hear! You slammed me into the ground and everything!" As the officer takes her to the patrol car, Bland thanks the bystander who filmed her arrest.
Shauna Dunlap, a spokesperson for the Houston chapter of the FBI, told the Houston Chronicle on Thursday that the agency would look at the data compiled during the local inquiry and "if warranted could pursue a federal investigation."
"I talked to her Friday and she was in good spirits," Mosely told USA Today on Friday. "Although she was incarcerated she was in good spirits. She was looking forward to posting bond Saturday and getting out. So you don't go from that to hanging yourself."
Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis said his office was "actively consulting with and monitoring the investigation being conducted by the Texas Rangers into Ms. Bland's death. Once the investigation is complete the matter will be turned over to a Waller County grand jury for any further proceedings deemed appropriate by them."
Bland was an activist with the Black Lives Matter movement, producing a series of videos entitled "Sandy Speaks" in which she discussed her experiences of racism and the continuing fight for justice. In a clip shown on Democracy Now!, Bland stated, "For those of you questioning why was he running away, well, [bleep], because in the news that we've seen as of late, you could stand there, surrender to the cops and still be killed."
The system of "cradle to grave racism" previously described by Judge Charleston is also present in its jails. Juan Thompson at The Interceptlooked in-depth at the similarities between Bland's death and that of James Harper Howell IV, detained at Waller County Jail in 2012. Like Bland, Howell was arrested violently and died in his cell under suspicious circumstances. Like Bland, officials termed it a suicide.
As Bland's story unfolded and the history of Waller County came to light, Twitter users launched the hashtag #IfIDieInPoliceCustody to highlight and dispel the oft-used narratives that follow the deaths of unarmed black men and women that occur in police custody:
\u201c#IfIDieInPoliceCustody I did not kill myself. I did not resist arrest. I did not reach for a weapon. I was not disrespectful.\u201d— cosmic (\u25d5\u03c9\u25d5\u273f) (@cosmic (\u25d5\u03c9\u25d5\u273f)) 1437153880
\u201c#IfIDieInPoliceCustody question everything. Don't believe a word they say. Demand the truth by any means necessary.\u201d— Johnetta Elzie (@Johnetta Elzie) 1437099522
\u201c#IfIDieInPoliceCustody raise hell. Just know I didn't resist nor was I armed.\u201d— \ud835\udcd1\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcf8\ud835\udcec\ud835\udcf4\ud835\udcea \ud835\udcd5\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcf8\ud835\udcec\ud835\udcf4\ud835\udcea \ud835\udcd5\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcea\ud835\udcf6\ud835\udcee \ud83e\uddc1 (@\ud835\udcd1\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcf8\ud835\udcec\ud835\udcf4\ud835\udcea \ud835\udcd5\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcf8\ud835\udcec\ud835\udcf4\ud835\udcea \ud835\udcd5\ud835\udcf5\ud835\udcea\ud835\udcf6\ud835\udcee \ud83e\uddc1) 1437058431
\u201c#IfIDieInPoliceCustody know that I was afraid and the officer was not.\u201d— Dionna King (@Dionna King) 1437155079
Kerry McLean, a human rights lawyer based in New York City, said Bland's death was "unfortunately all too familiar to African Americans. There have been [instances] of Blacks mysteriously dying while in police custody for generations. Sandra Bland's death is a reminder for some that even if you are a woman, or upwardly mobile, ultimately all that matters to the police is your Blackness. Respectability will not save you."
Invoking the names of several other black women who died in police custody, McLean concluded, "We need justice. For Sandra Bland, for Kindra Chapman, for Sheneque Proctor and so many more. We need an end to racist police violence."
In another video on her Facebook page, Bland states plainly, "Being a black person in America is very, very hard. Black lives matter. They matter."
"This move not only erases accountability for one of the darkest days in our nation's history but also emboldens far-right extremists and grants them free license to continue their ideological reign of terror," said one critic.
Democracy defenders on Monday night swiftly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pardon roughly 1,500 insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and commute the sentences of some others.
The widely anticipated move, which Trump made with television cameras in the Oval Office, came just hours after he returned to power on Monday afternoon—despite being convicted of 34 felonies in New York last year and facing various other legal cases, including for his attempts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democratic former President Joe Biden that culminated in inciting the 2021 Capitol attack.
"Just hours after promising to bring 'law and order back to our cities,' Trump pardoned more than a thousand January 6th rioters and put violent offenders right back in our neighborhoods—people who assaulted police officers, destroyed property, and tried to overturn our freedom to vote," said Sean Eldridge, president and founder of the progressive advocacy group Stand Up America, in a statement.
"By giving January 6th rioters a free pass, Trump is rewarding political violence and making all of us less safe," he continued. "No one should be above the law in the United States of America, and our first responders and the American people deserve better than this."
Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of the grassroots progressive political organizing group Our Revolution, said that "Trump's pardons of January 6 rioters, including those convicted of violence against law enforcement, mark a grave and unprecedented attack on the rule of law and American democracy. This move not only erases accountability for one of the darkest days in our nation's history but also emboldens far-right extremists and grants them free license to continue their ideological reign of terror."
"These are not patriots, these are traitors who will now be free to recruit others into what Trump views as his own personal militia," he asserted. "By granting clemency to these individuals, who sought to overturn the peaceful transfer of power, Trump is signaling that political violence and the rejection of democratic norms are acceptable tactics in service to his authoritarian agenda. This is a direct threat to the foundations of our democracy and the safety of our communities."
Lisa Gilbert, co-president of watchdog Public Citizen, said that "it is perhaps on-brand that Donald Trump has kicked off his second term with an assault on our democracy, just as he ended his first term."
"This isn't just about degrading the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law in theory, his disgraceful actions here send a message that political violence is acceptable, so long as it is in support of him and his pursuit of unchecked power," she continued. "We intend to fight against these types of abuses over the next four years to maintain the integrity of the rule of law."
Accusing the Republican of "condoning insurrection," Common Cause president and CEO Virginia Kase Solomón similarly warned that "this will not be the last time President Trump attacks democracy" and vowed that her organization stands "ready to defend it."
During the insurrection, Kase Solomón said, "people died and more than 140 law enforcement officers were injured protecting members of Congress from the attack that followed. These deaths and injuries should not be in vain. To pardon those involved is a blatant and dangerous abuse of power."
"Trump was charged with multiple crimes for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election which ended in the insurrection at the Capitol," she noted. "Only his reelection, coupled with an extremely misguided ruling from the Supreme Court on presidential immunity, allowed him to escape trial. In pardoning those who attempted to violently overturn the election and invalidate 80 million votes, Trump is showing his contempt for our justice system and our democracy."
Noah Bookbinder, a former federal prosecutor who is now president of the watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, warned that "giving a pass to those who participated, all of whom were convicted after trial with ample evidence and process or pleaded guilty to crimes, sends a message that the right of the people to choose our own leaders no longer matters because the results can merely be overturned by force."
"And," he said, "it raises a terrifying question: What happens if Trump doesn't want to leave the White House at the end of his term?"
Trump commuted the sentences of Jeremy Bertino, Joseph Biggs, Thomas Caldwell, Joseph Hackett, Kenneth Harrelson, Kelly Meggs, Roberto Minuta, David Moerschel, Ethan Nordean, Dominic Pezzola, Zachary Rehl, Stewart Rhodes, Edward Vallejo, and Jessica Watkins. The others—whom Trump called "hostages"—received "a full, complete, and unconditional pardon."
"I further direct the attorney general to pursue dismissal with prejudice to the government of all pending indictments against individuals for their conduct related to the events at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021," Trump's order said. "The Bureau of Prisons shall immediately implement all instructions from the Department of Justice regarding this directive."
Shortly before leaving office on Monday, Biden issued a final wave of pardons, including for members of the U.S. House of Representatives select committee that investigated the insurrection. The Democrat said that he could not "in good conscience do nothing" to protect them and the pardons "should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense."
This post has been updated with comment from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
The bill, noted one opponent, "has some egregious provisions that will have dramatic consequences beyond its stated goal of locking up undocumented individuals like the man who murdered Laken Riley."
A dozen U.S. Senate Democrats on Monday helped the GOP pass the Laken Riley Act—an immigration bill decried as a far-right power grab—just hours after Republican President Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term.
Those 12 Democrats are Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Mark Kelly (Ariz.), Jon Ossoff (Ga.), Gary Peters (Mich.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (Mich.), Mark Warner (Va.), and Raphael Warnock (Ga.). Fetterman and Gallego co-sponsored the bill.
A version of the legislation—named for a 22-year-old woman murdered by a Venezuelan migrant in Georgia last year—was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this month in a 264-159 vote, with support from 48 Democrats. However, it must be approved by the chamber again before it will head to Trump's desk.
"I just voted against the Laken Riley Act," said Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). "This bill won't accomplish its goals. I'm disappointed in its passage as it stands, and I'm deeply concerned about how it will be implemented."
Writing to members of Congress ahead of the Senate's 64-35 vote, over 70 national groups said that "the senselessness of the murder of Laken Riley does not justify making unprecedented changes to immigration detention laws that—like all mandatory incarceration provisions—will only result in more discrimination while doing little to increase public safety."
Urging lawmakers to oppose the bill the coalition explained:
S. 5 would require the mandatory detention—without any possibility of bond—of undocumented persons who are merely arrested for or charged with certain offenses, including misdemeanor shoplifting. It does not require conviction. There is no statute of limitations, and the bill does not specify any process by which a person might contest either their immigration detention or the underlying criminal charges (if charges are even pursued). Mandatory immigration detention on the basis of a mere arrest is unprecedented, and it would invite abuses that almost certainly would disproportionately impact people of color.
We are also concerned with language in the bill that would give states standing to sue the federal government over any allegation that the federal government is improperly implementing immigration laws, such as detention and removal provisions, visa provisions, or its discretionary parole authority. This language would open the floodgates to litigation, and it would enable individual states to shape federal immigration policies.
"Laken Riley should be with us today. Her murder is a tragedy, and the perpetrator should be held fully accountable," said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) after the vote. "The Laken Riley Act, however, has some egregious provisions that will have dramatic consequences beyond its stated goal of locking up undocumented individuals like the man who murdered Laken Riley. Specifically, it requires mandatory imprisonment for undocumented children who have never been charged with or convicted of a crime. This is twisted."
"We've seen time and again the damage the federal government can cause our children with dangerous immigration policies like this," he added. "I will continue to champion proposals that keep all of us safe, fix America's broken immigration system, and strengthen our border security. Our families and communities demand nothing less."
The Senate vote came as Trump began imposing his anti-immigrant agenda with a slew of executive orders. The Republican, who campaigned on mass deportations and ending birthright citizenship, is expected to sign the Laken Riley Act once it reaches him.
"Trump's first actions as president show us exactly who he is and what he believes about America," said Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.). "While he talked about unity, he used his first moment in the office to stoke fear and fuel division. While he talked about a 'golden age,' he signed unconstitutional and un-American executive orders that gut equality initiatives, criminalize immigrants, end asylum, roll back climate protections, and endanger our national security. There is nothing great about an America that denies peoples' civil rights, refuses refuge to the persecuted, or denies future generations clean air and water."
"I believe America is greatest when we pursue justice, equality, and peace and honor our shared humanity," she added. "This daughter of immigrants, citizen by birthright, and congresista from a district that celebrates our diversity, stands ready to fight for the soul of our nation. Regardless of who is president, I will continue to fight for the policies working people demand: affordable housing and healthcare, good-paying jobs, clean air and water, public safety, and comprehensive immigration reform."One former Swedish prime minister called the Republican president's pledge to grow U.S. territory "a recipe for global instability."
While the global far-right cheered President Donald Trump's return to the White House on Monday, world leaders, elected officials, activists, and others from across the rest of the political spectrum reacted with trepidation as the Republican vowed to expand the nation's territory for the first time in nearly 80 years and threatened the sovereignty of a U.S. trade and security partner.
In his second inaugural address, Trump promised a foreign policy that "expands our territory," as well as the renewed pursuit of "Manifest Destiny"—the 19th-century belief that God intended the United States to control the continent from coast to coast—beyond Earth by "launching American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars."
"That's a dangerous statement in itself, but then others around the world might also be inspired to do the same."
In the United States, Monday's inauguration coincided with the federal holiday honoring the assassinated civil rights champion Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., whom Trump mentioned in his speech. Some observers noted the incongruity of Trump's message with King's anti-war ethos.
"How dare Donald Trump invoke Dr. King," pan-African studies professor and Black Lives Matter Los Angeles co-founder Melina Abdullah fumed on social media. "Trump IS the embodiment of the three evils that MLK warned of: racism, materialism, and militarism."
Indigenous voices reminded listeners that belief in Manifest Destiny fueled genocidal violence against Native Americans.
"Trump is really going after Native Americans with references to Manifest Destiny, the frontier, Wild West, and erasing Denali's name," attorney Brett Chapman, a direct descendant of the Ponca Cshief White Eagle, said on social media. "This anti-Indigenous inaugural address sounds like one from the 1800s when presidents deployed the U.S. military on Native Americans seeking rights."
In his speech, Trump falsely accused China of "running the Panama Canal," said that Panama—which was last invaded by American forces in 1989—is overcharging U.S. ships to use the crucial waterway, and warned that "we're taking it back."
As angry demonstrators rallied outside the U.S. Embassy in Panama City, right-wing Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino issued a statement refuting Trump's threats and accusations and declaring that "the canal is and will continue to be Panamanian."
Trump's threat follows his refusal earlier this month to rule out the use of military force in order to conquer the Panama Canal or Greenland, a territory of NATO ally Denmark.
South American progressives were left stunned by parts of Trump's address.
"In his inauguration speech, Donald Trump made it clear that reality surpasses fiction," Carol Dartora, a leftist lawmaker in the lower chamber of Brazil's National Congress, said in a video posted online. "Then the U.S. president exuded machismo, imperialism, and xenophobia, especially against immigrants."
Across the Atlantic, former center-right Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt said: "Now we know that President Trump wants to 'expand our territory.' That's a dangerous statement in itself, but then others around the world might also be inspired to do the same. It's a recipe for global instability."
German author, filmmaker, and journalist Annette Dittert
responded to Trump's expansionist pledge with a popular three-letter internet acronym: "'We will become a nation that expands our territory?' WTF?"