President Donald Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night was one for the ages. The day after, many political pundits commented that they believed this was Trump's best speech and one of the best political speeches ever given. Democrats attempted to smear Trump's address with a vast array of childish and petty shenanigans. When those didn't work, all semblance of any humanity collectively escaped them as many of Trump's guests were introduced and their stories told. For all of their virtue signaling by wearing pink, yellow and blue, or black, Donald Trump made Democrats reveal who they really are.
Thank you Congresswoman Laura Gillen for having the courage to show grace even when you were the only one standing. They don’t deserve you. You remind me of what Democrats used to be. The rest of your party reminded me of why I left. pic.twitter.com/6IwZQf5U52
— Gayla Baer-Taylor (@Gayla) March 5, 2025
As Trump introduced guests like the mother and sister of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, the mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, both murdered at the hands of illegal immigrants, and the wife and daughters of Corey Comperatore, who was killed in the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania last July, Republicans gave all a standing ovation, Democrats remained seated.
Then Trump introduced DJ Daniel. DJ is 13 years old and a survivor of brain cancer. The president told DJ's story of how, in 2018, he was diagnosed with brain cancer and given five months to live. DJ's lifelong dream is to become a police officer, and has been made an honorary member of several police departments. Tuesday night, Trump made him an honorary Secret Service agent as well. Secret Service Director Sean Curran presented DJ with his own USSS badge. When DJ hugged Curran, there were not many dry eyes in the room or watching at home, and there was another standing ovation.
Incredulously, only half the chamber stood for DJ -- the Republican side. Democrats, in their blind hatred for anything remotely related to Donald Trump, sat and did nothing while a child who has survived cancer was honored. Today, social media has not been kind to them. I'm sure they have no idea why. But what many people might not have seen (I did not see it myself as I watched the speech) was that one Democrat, ONE, did stand up and applaud DJ Daniel, and probably the others as well. That Democrat is Rep. Laura Gillen, who represents New York's fourth congressional district.
Gillen, a first-term Congresswoman, hails from Long Island, a red blip in a sea of New York blue, and quite possibly, the last existing rational Democrat. During an interview with a local television station, Gillen expressed disappointment in her Democrat colleagues, saying,
"Quite frankly, there were moments where, I feel like, anger at some of the actions that have happened over the last month and a half have prevented some of my colleagues from standing up to support the little DJ Daniel. I stood up and applauded this little boy who is getting over cancer and wants to be a police officer, and I was disappointed that I was not joined by any of my colleagues."
In a world of Democrats too partisan to stand for even a kindhearted moment honoring a cancer kid, be Laura Gillan.
— Curtis Johnson (@cjohnson999) March 5, 2025
Laura is a Democrat who managed to be kind enough (or savvy enough) to know it really is OK to cheer for the cancer kid, even if it's Trump saying asking do it. pic.twitter.com/U9wN3FGWLU
Rep. Gillen appears to be the only one on her side of the aisle who has been spared from Trump Derangement Syndrome. A quick look at her website shows that she voted for the Laken Riley Act, and went on to state:
“I’m focused on the priorities that matter to Long Islanders: taking on our cost-of-living crisis, fixing our broken immigration system, and keeping our communities and law enforcement safe... I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and the Administration on these pressing issues...I’m ready to work with the President when it helps my constituents, but I’ll always fight back against policies that hurt Nassau County."
No problem here with those statements. That, in a nutshell, is her job. But after Tuesday night, Rep. Gillen must wonder who exactly she has thrown in with? Gillen had the basic human decency to stand up and applaud a child who is a cancer survivor when none of her colleagues did. Given the decaying state of the Democrat party, what might happen to her today? Will there be a meeting between herself, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (R-NY), and maybe Grand Dame of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to "get her mind right?" Will she be on some sort of double-secret probation? After Rep. Al Green's bouncing from the chamber at the hands of Speaker Mike Johnson for his insufferable behavior, Jeffries will want to make sure he does a better job of herding the cats and getting rid of any independent thinkers.
The kind of leadership Rep. Laura Gillen displayed Tuesday night is what her party is sorely lacking but will push away with both hands. But I think I can speak for many when I say, well done, Rep. Gillen, well done.
I was deeply moved by DJ Daniels’ story and thank @POTUS for sharing it during last night’s #JointAddress. I was disappointed that more of my colleagues didn’t join me in honoring DJ’s tenacity and courage — his fight rises above the level of petty politics. pic.twitter.com/bqn8nOmfvN
— Congresswoman Laura Gillen (@RepLauraGillen) March 5, 2025
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