# The Democratic president of the United States of America, the guy who ran against Donald Trump and just launched his campaign to do so again, just called someone "an illegal" in the State of the Union address **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 8, 2024, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607 "2024-03-08T13:24:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/21 "2024-03-08T14:40:44Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > That very illogical position, which was held by every single centrist and liberal in the country not long ago, Really? Because that sounds like a progressive position, held by some liberals and fewer centrists, but certainly not universal. Do you have a cite for this claim that it was widely held by liberals and centrists, and not just by progressives and some liberals? ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/22 "2024-03-08T14:42:30Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > I think you wrote that out despite knowing that none of that was in the post, and that I only mentioned Trump at all to head off the exact post that you wrote anyway. I think we enjoyed that because we all know just who is going to have to clean up all of the ketchup off the walls all day today. [Enjoy…!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GBTIeR4Z_M) ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/23 "2024-03-08T14:44:34Z")
Well, it is estimated that 17 million people have crossed our border and entered our country illegally. They are “illegals”. Thing is, the term has become politically incorrect because it constantly calls attention to the fact that they are, in fact, illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/24 "2024-03-08T14:45:09Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I think that’s a bit of a misinterpretation based on the words used and the inherent slop in the English language. There’s two questions here - one is whether it’s racist or not to call a person illegal. Certainly people with a more conservative position have long argued that it is not. The other is whether the average Democrat used to agree that yes, it is. I do not think it’s a misinterpretation to say they did. It’s on the lawn signs. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/25 "2024-03-08T14:46:19Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > But then you have to loop back around and say why did he bring up the matter at all? Because he’s not an idiot, and knew she’d be heckling him on this exact point, so she could score points by making him look both old and indifferent to the murder of this person. But too bad for her, he played the Uno reverse card and made her look like the idiot. This is how the game is played now, and it will be until the howler monkey caucus is soundly defeated at the polls. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/26 "2024-03-08T14:46:22Z")
What was the exact quote? Calling someone “an illegal”—really bad. Calling someone “an illegal immigrant”—meh. Calling someone “undocumented”—meh. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/27 "2024-03-08T14:47:25Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > The other is whether the average Democrat used to agree that yes, it is. I do not think it’s a misinterpretation to say they did. It’s on the lawn signs. I assume you mean this lawn sign? [![](https://www.signsofjustice.com/cdn/shop/collections/WB.jpg?v=1546988451) ](https://www.signsofjustice.com/cdn/shop/collections/WB.jpg?v=1546988451) I find it funny that you think this represents the “average Democrat”. I’d associate that sign with someone who is progressive, not “liberal or centrist”. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/28 "2024-03-08T14:53:09Z")
The exact quote is in the OP. He said “Laken Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal, that’s right.” ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/29 "2024-03-08T14:56:51Z")
Jimmy is splitting angstroms ( and ignoring the Mount Trumpmore Landfill ). Evidently, he’s as thick and as rich as Rump’s ketchup… ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/30 "2024-03-08T14:58:53Z")
Thanks. I saw the quotation marks, but I thought it might be a paraphrase. I do think this is quite bad, and merits an apology, even if he’s just responding to someone else’s use of the term. Equally, I don’t think anyone is going to hold him to account on it. I use “illegal immigrant” myself, but substantivizing “illegal” is a bridge too far, dehumanizing and unacceptable. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/31 "2024-03-08T15:01:23Z")
I still don’t happen to think that Biden is a doddering old fool. In an election year, I allow for _the possibility_ that this kind of statement from Biden might _be calculated to_ neutralize some of the Republicans’ current ‘advantage’ on the immigration issue. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/32 "2024-03-08T15:07:05Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > > [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > > > The other is whether the average Democrat used to agree that yes, it is. I do not think it’s a misinterpretation to say they did. It’s on the lawn signs. > > I assume you mean this lawn sign? > > [https://www.signsofjustice.com/cdn/shop/collections/WB.jpg?v=1546988451](https://www.signsofjustice.com/cdn/shop/collections/WB.jpg?v=1546988451) > > I find it funny that you think this represents the “average Democrat”. > > I’d associate that sign with someone who is progressive, not “liberal or centrist”. What part of that sign would the “average Democrat” disagree with? (OK, “Water is Life” is a little weird.) ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/33 "2024-03-08T15:11:03Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > (OK, “Water is Life” is a little weird.) Come on, everyone groks that Democrats are Martians. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/34 "2024-03-08T15:11:12Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Thanks. I saw the quotation marks, but I thought it might be a paraphrase. His next sentence was “But how many thousands of people being killed by illegals?”, which he didn’t follow up on. Not sure what he was going for, there. Sarcasm, thinking it is an obvious hyperbole? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/35 "2024-03-08T15:13:39Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > What part of that sign would the “average Democrat” disagree with? I don’t think they’d necessarily _disagree_ with any part of the sign, but I also don’t think that the “average Democrat” is gung ho enough about Black Lives Matter or No Human Is Illegal to put up a lawn sign declaring so. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/36 "2024-03-08T15:13:40Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > “But how many thousands of people being killed by illegals?”, which he didn’t follow up on. Not sure what he was going for, there? I think that’s an actual gaffe. I think he meant to contrast this with the thousands murdered by Proper Americans With Papers And Everything. Because that’s the real contrast here. Empty Greene is freaking out over this one, rare murder, while flat-out refusing to do anything to even slow down the flood of mass shootings that happen almost every day now. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/37 "2024-03-08T15:16:48Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Someone needs a hug. Please! this is the Pit! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/38 "2024-03-08T15:17:50Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > > [@Akaj](#): > > > > What part of that sign would the “average Democrat” disagree with? > > I don’t think they’d necessarily _disagree_ with any part of the sign, but I also don’t think that the “average Democrat” is gung ho enough about Black Lives Matter or No Human Is Illegal to put up a lawn sign declaring so. OK, I see your point. You’re probably right. I agree with everything on that sign, but don’t have the stones to post one myself. Guess I’m just average. 🙄 /hijack ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/39 "2024-03-08T15:21:46Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > OK, I see your point. You’re probably right. Also, someone like my MIL is a lifelong democrat mostly by inertia, and while she had heard about BLM, if I told all “no human being is illegal” she would probably just be confused. I think there are a lot more democrats like her than like posters on this board or progressives. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607/40 "2024-03-08T15:24:33Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > if I told all “no human being is illegal” she would probably just be confused. What, she’s going to just let those damn Replicants live on Earth, or something?!? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-democratic-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-guy-who-ran-against-donald-trump-and-just-launched-his-campaign-to-do-so-again-just-called-someone-an-illegal-in-the-state-of-the-union-address/998607.md?page=3)