Maloney Speaks to Trump Following State of Union Address
Before, during, and after President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address last week, Democratic representatives in droves made clear they wanted nothing to do with the Republican firebrand by staying seated most of his speech and exiting the building in lightning speed fashion the moment it was over.
But one Democratic congressman, local Representative Sean Patrick Maloney caught national eyeballs when he reached out to Trump following his hour-long remarks to Congress. As the camera fixated on Trump walking out, soon Maloney was in the screenshot, too.
After waiting a couple minutes to get Trump’s attention while he was talking to other lawmakers and even signing a few autographs, Maloney and the president shook hands and then Maloney leaned in to say something to him.
Maloney, in response to the buzz on social media about his interaction with Trump, tweeted the following, “Lots of (people) asking what I said to POTUS. Told him he could protect LGBT employees by leaving Obama orders in place. He said he would.”
Maloney, the first openly gay man to serve in Congress from New York, was referring to an executive order created in 2014 that is meant to protect LGBT people at the workplace and banned companies that do federal work from discriminating against people because of their sexual orientation.
Trump’s administration has stated it planned on keeping the protection in place, according to a statement from the White House in January. The statement in part read, “President Trump continues to be respectful and supportive of LGBTQ rights, just as he was throughout the election.”
Maloney represents the 18th congressional district, including all of Putnam and Orange counties, part of Dutchess County and a slither of Westchester County. The Cold Spring resident is starting his third term in office.
He won easily against an underfunded Republican challenger Phil Oliva, a Somers resident, last November by a 56-44 margin. Trump, in the same congressional district, squeaked out a 49-47 win over Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Maloney is the only Democrat to a hold a seat in a district Trump won last year. During the campaign last year, Maloney started a petition that would rename Donald Trump State Park that resides in a part of Putnam Valley.
In a statement about the entire State of the Union address, Maloney said he’s all for initiatives that rebuild transportation and infrastructure systems, fight the heroin crisis, and create good-paying job in the Hudson Valley.
But he also cautioned, “Unfortunately actions speak louder than words and the clumsy and ill-conceived actions President Trump has taken so far, which have undermined our constitution, make it very difficult to work with him. But I’ll stay at it.”
