'When I Say Model...': Jasmine Crockett Calls Out Melania Trump For Receiving 'Einstein Visa'

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At today's House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) called out First Lady Melania Trump's use of an "Einstein Visa" to come to the U.S.

Transcript

00:00The chair now recognizes the general lady from Texas, Ms. Crockett.

00:03Thank you so much.

00:04It's interesting that we're being accused of wanting all kinds of criminals to be on the streets

00:09or that we don't believe that people should show up to their meetings and appointments.

00:15Last time I checked, there's a lot of people that are actually being grabbed as they are going in for their appointments.

00:19In fact, we know that one of the candidates that was recently running in this mayoral,

00:24he ended up being arrested because he decided that he was actually going to escort people that are actually showing up to their meetings

00:29or we know that the Pope, yes, the Pope himself decided that the church may need to have people that are going to escort people

00:36as they're going into their meetings because the reality is that what they are claiming what they want to do

00:41versus what they're actually doing, the actions don't match up.

00:45And while we are supposed to be talking about visas, somehow we continue to cherry pick and talk about one criminal act

00:52and another criminal act and it is so very interesting to me that, yes, we will say people are xenophobic

00:58because when you start to decide that just because somebody came from another country,

01:02they are automatically some kind of criminal, that does sound kind of xenophobic to me

01:06because you are using a paintbrush to paint an entire group of people

01:12where the vast majority of them are coming here because they are actually seeking a better life.

01:17But let me get to what this hearing is supposed to be about.

01:20The idea that Trump and my Republican colleagues want to restore integrity and security in the visa process is actually a joke.

01:26Let me be clear. Integrity is not snatching lawful visa holders off the streets and throwing them into unmarked vans.

01:33Integrity is not revoking visas based on social media posts that hurt somebody's little feelings

01:38because kids decide that they want to go after Trump or this administration.

01:43We have a thing called free speech in this country.

01:46And since we're talking about integrity, I'm confused as to why my Republican colleagues

01:49aren't talking about the lack of integrity when it comes to the president's family's visas.

01:53Let me remind y'all that Melania, the first lady, a model, and when I say model,

01:59I'm not talking about Tyra Banks, Cindy Crawford, or Naomi Campbell level,

02:03applied for and was given an EB-1 visa.

02:06And what that stands for is an Einstein visa.

02:10Now, y'all that don't know, let me tell you how you receive an Einstein visa.

02:16You're supposed to have some sort of significant achievement,

02:18like being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize or a Pulitzer, being an Olympic medalist,

02:24or having other sustained extraordinary abilities and success in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics.

02:30Last time I checked, the first lady had none of those accolades under her belt.

02:35It doesn't take an Einstein to see that the math ain't math in here.

02:40Nevertheless, what Republicans are doing with this reconciliation process,

02:44the travel bans and revoking visas jeopardizes our national security.

02:48It threatens our communities, our higher education, and our economy.

02:52Visas, like the largely vetted J visas for higher education and M visas for trade training,

03:00attract the next innovators, medical providers, researchers, and educators

03:04that we need to build on American success.

03:09I'm not going to mess up your name, so I'm not doing that.

03:11But, I'm with you, okay?

03:15In your experience, do individuals on J or M visas typically improve or impair our economy?

03:22They generally improve the economy, and I can give a brief example.

03:26My wife is a very successful woman.

03:29She makes a ton of money, which I'm grateful for.

03:31And the reason why we're able to do that while having three children

03:35is because of the au pair visa.

03:37Somebody who is here on a J, who is here and able to supply this for us.

03:42But I also wanted to offend Melania real quick.

03:44Not everybody could marry Donald Trump, and I think that's quite an achievement.

03:48So, I think she deserves credit for that.

03:50Nobody up here could have done it.

03:51You sure are right.

03:52I couldn't do it.

03:53But anyway, in fact, J visa holders contribute $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy

03:59and support more than 300,000 jobs.

04:01And make no mistake, immigrants improve the health of U.S. citizens, too.

04:04Despite the fact we already have a doctor shortage,

04:07Trump's reckless travel ban and visa overhaul are exacerbating this crisis

04:12by impairing hundreds of hospitals with foreign-trained doctors

04:15set to do their residencies here in the United States,

04:17meaning fewer people will get the help they need and more people will die.

04:21Now, let me remind you that Republicans are trying to gut Medicaid.

04:24Roughly 4.5 million people receive caregiver services through Medicaid,

04:28and most of these folks are in red states.

04:31And wouldn't you know that in 2023, Kaiser Family Foundation estimated

04:35that almost 30% of long-term care providers or home caretakers were immigrants.

04:41It's like Republicans want Americans to suffer.

04:44Now, Republicans say visas make us less secure,

04:46but let's talk about how U visas, visas given to victims of crimes like rape,

04:50murder, human trafficking, torture, abduction, kidnapping to help law enforcement

04:56with their investigation or prosecutions of these crimes.

04:59These folks are risking their own security for broader safety of Americans

05:02and our communities.

05:04Thank you so much.

05:05I will yield.

05:07General Eddie yields, and our chair now recognizes himself.

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