Sarah Palin: Politicians ‘Seducing’ Illegal Immigrants with Gift Baskets
Sarah Palin’s speech at the Wisconsin GOP fish fry dinner last night was punctuated with phrases like “gift baskets,” “teddy bears,” and “soccer balls” that only left her audience rather confused.
The former governor of Alaska was, in fact, speaking of her anti-immigration stance; she believes that the United States of America is actually luring illegal immigrants in the country by offering “gift baskets” full of “teddy bears” and “soccer balls.”
While this is certainly an attention-grabbing statement, it did not receive much applause (judging from reporters’ tweets and video evidence – most of the audience remained awkwardly silent throughout Palin’s speech, according to Death and Taxes Magazine).
How do you know Palin has faded? 8 mins into her speech at GOP dinner and no applause yet. Some eye rolls and phone checking tho.
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) April 2, 2016
Sarah Palin is on the campaign trail, supporting Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump. Her anti-immigration statements were likely meant to support Trump’s own inflammatory statements on immigration, particularly the time he said he wanted to build a “‘uge wall” on the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing it.
The Washington Examiner reports Palin as saying the following.
“Knowing that Trump won on that issue, it should empower you to go ahead and ask the candidates, ‘What the heck are you thinking, candidates? What are you thinking when you’re going ahead and actually asking for more immigrants, illegal immigrants, welcoming them in, even inducing and seducing immigrants with gift baskets of teddy bears and soccer balls?’ “
This “gift baskets” attack alleges that America is enticing illegal immigrants with benefits (analogized as “teddy bears and soccer balls”) rather than properly punishing them for their transgression and preventing their entry, stands by Sarah Palin’s anti-immigration stance, as well as that of Trump, who is the Republican candidate she has endorsed for the 2016 presidency.
This is not the first time that the ex-governor has made inflammatory anti-immigration statements; last September, Palin told CNN that she wished immigrants would speak “American,” according to Fusion.
“I think we can send a message and say, ‘You want to be in America, A, you’d better be here legally or you’re out of here; B, when you’re here, let’s speak American.”
Like this call to speak “American,” Palin’s idea that the U.S. is “seducing” illegal immigrants (with gift baskets of teddy bears and soccer balls, of all things) is inflammatory. However, it still received a lukewarm response from audience members, some of whom were looking on with bemused expressions, according to Raw Story.
update: this is still the case.
— Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) April 2, 2016
Other issues that Sarah Palin touched on, that also did not get much of an audience response, included her explanation of Ronald Reagan’s role in preventing Harley-Davidson from going out of business by taxing imported motorcycles. She made her case very simply.
“Reagan saved the hog!”
At the end of her speech, Palin received polite applause with a standing ovation; although, Death and Taxes Magazine alleged that this show of allegiance to Palin was more out of habit than in actual enthusiasm.
Palin remained enthusiastic about her speech, despite the lukewarm response. Later, she told an NBC reporter, “At least they didn’t boo.”
After Milwaukee crowd was unimpressed with Sarah Palin’s disjointed speech for Trump she tells @VaughnHillyard “At least they didn’t boo”
— Chris Jansing (@ChrisJansing) April 2, 2016
Sarah Palin’s speech was posted in its entirety online. See for yourself as she mentions “gift baskets,” and “teddy bears,” and “soccer balls” to general disinterest.
[Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images]
