--- title: How Donald Trump Made DACA More Divisive With One Phrase description: During his 2018 State of the Union address, Donald Trump spoke of his desire to tighten immigration, saying "Americans are dreamers, too." canonical: https://time.com/5127304/trump-americans-are-dreamers-too/ author: Sarah Begley article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-31T19:25:09.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T08:48:41.352Z article:section: Politics og:title: How Donald Trump Made DACA More Divisive With One Phrase og:description: 'Americans are Dreamers, too' og:url: https://time.com/5127304/trump-americans-are-dreamers-too/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1f023b27b76f9da3/6988fa09bc6cfc79733e4d1c/gettyimages-9124237401.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3450 og:image:height: 1941 og:image:alt: President Trump Addresses The Nation In His First State Of The Union Address To Joint Session Of Congress og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How Donald Trump Made DACA More Divisive With One Phrase twitter:description: 'Americans are Dreamers, too' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1f023b27b76f9da3/6988fa09bc6cfc79733e4d1c/gettyimages-9124237401.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How President Trump Made the DACA Debate More Divisive With One Phrase > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=6919623a-2eed-473f-995a-dbdf6678274a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Trump's First State of the Union Address In 4 Minutes [Watch (HLS stream): Trump's First State of the Union Address In 4 Minutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/TgeSYnJ0.m3u8) (3:39)  _Published 2018-01-31. Trump's First State of the Union Address In 4 Minutes_ by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Jan 31, 2018 7:25 PM UTC Trump's First State of the Union Address In 4 Minutes by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Jan 31, 2018 7:25 PM UTC In his first [State of the Union](http://time.com/5126251/donald-trump-state-union-analysis/?xid=homepage) address on Tuesday night, [President Donald Trump](http://time.com/5125856/democrat-rebuttal-trump-state-union/) addressed his desire to tighten the border by emphasizing “immigration policies that focus on the best interests of American workers and American families.” Trump called on members of Congress to work together on immigration reform to “defend Americans — to protect their safety, their families, their communities, and their right to the American Dream. Because Americans are dreamers, too.” Immediately, critics, journalists, activists and other commentators took to social media to question the phrase “Americans are dreamers, too,” suggesting that it amounted to a racist dog-whistle against immigrants. Former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau cited [polling](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/americans-back-daca-huge-margin-poll/story?id=50032985) that shows the vast majority of Americans feel that people brought to the U.S. as children should have the right to remain, as [DACA](http://time.com/5120633/trump-daca-plan-immigration-reaction/) would have allowed them to do before Trump announced he would end it: > [](https://twitter.com/jonfavs/status/958726769879773185) ThinkProgress editor-in-chief Judd Legum cited the phrase’s popularity among white nationalists: > [](https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/958752448759455744) And, indeed, perhaps the two most notorious white supremacists active today tweeted out the phrase after Trump used it: > [](https://twitter.com/RichardBSpencer/status/958534155049959424) > [](https://twitter.com/DrDavidDuke/status/958534057159249921) Vox journalist Dara Lind pointed out that Trump used similar language when he announced he would end DACA: > [](https://twitter.com/DLind/status/958732148848123905) Journalist and academic Jason Johnson was one of many to compare “Americans are dreamers too” with the anti-Black Lives Matter phrase “All Lives Matter”: > [](https://twitter.com/DrJasonJohnson/status/958730002148876288) For those who view the language as anti-immigrant, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gave a succinct explanation: > [](https://twitter.com/newtgingrich/status/958534201753702401) ## Transcript Let's begin tonight by recognizing that the state our union is strong because our people are strong. [ APPLAUSE ] We have created 2. 4 million new jobs. [ APPLAUSE ] Including [ APPLAUSE ] including 200, 000 new jobs in manufacturing alone. And just as I promised the American people from this podium 11 months ago, we enacted the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history. Since we passed tax cuts, roughly three million workers have already got tax cut Bonuses. Many of them thousands and thousands of dollars per worker and it's getting more every month every week. Apple has just announced the plans to invest a total of $ 350 billion in America. And hire another 20, 000 workers. The era of economic surrender is totally over. From now on we expect trading relationships to be fair and very importantly, reciprocal. I am asking both parties to come together to give us safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure. That our economy needs and our people deserve. Tonight I'm calling on Congress to produce a bill that generates at least, $ 1. 5 trilion for the new infrastructure investment that our country so desperately needs. This in fact is our new American moment. There has never been a better time to start living the American dream. Because Americans are dreamers too. The first paragraph about framework generally offers a path to citizenships for 1. 8 million illegal emigrants. Who were brought here by their parents at a young age. [ APPLAUSE ] Under our plan, those who meet education and work requirements, and show good moral character, will be able to become full citizens of the United States over a twelve- year period. As part of our defense We most modernize and rebuild our nuclear arsenal. Hopefully, never having to use it but making it so strong and so powerful that it would deter any acts of aggression but no regime. Has oppressed it's own citizens more totally, more brutally, than the cruel dictatorship in North Korea. North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland. We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure. To prevent that from ever happening. I am proud to report that the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated very close to 100 % of the territory just recently held by these killers in Iraq and in Syria, and in other locations, as well. [ APPLAUSE ] [ APPLAUSE ] But there is much more work to be done. We will continue our fight until ISIS is defeated. [ APPLAUSE ] We will never fail. Our families will thrive. Our people will prosper. And our nation Will forever be safe, and strong, and proud, and mighty, and free. 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