Tonight, in a chamber built to represent the American people, a simple request was made.
When Donald Trump asked members of Congress to stand if they support American citizens over illegal aliens, it should not have been a complicated moment. It should not have required parsing. It should not have triggered strategic hesitation.
And yet, many chose to remain seated.
This wasn’t a vote on deportation policy. It wasn’t an endorsement of a specific border bill. It wasn’t even a partisan roll call. It was a symbolic affirmation that the interests of American citizens come first in the halls of their own government.
Standing for that principle should not be controversial.
Lawmakers who stayed seated will argue they were rejecting the framing. They’ll say the question was designed as a political trap. Perhaps it was. Politics is full of traps. But leadership sometimes requires stepping over the trap instead of freezing in it.
Because to families watching from kitchen tables — to veterans, small-business owners, parents struggling with rising costs — the moment didn’t look like a nuanced protest against rhetorical structure. It looked like hesitation to visibly affirm who government is supposed to prioritize.
You can support legal immigration.
You can advocate for reform.
You can debate enforcement levels.
But when asked whether American citizens come first — in America — standing should not be controversial.
In a year where trust in institutions is fragile and voters are measuring who hears them and who doesn’t, symbolism carries weight. Images linger. And tonight, the image was unmistakable.
Some rose.
Some didn’t.
The Valley Viewpoint 