White House should respect free speech, not attack citizens

The White House's response to Selena Gomez's video criticizing recent immigration raids is deeply concerning. The President should be a unifying figure for all Americans, not take partisan stances attacking private citizens exercising their constitutional rights. Gomez and the mothers featured have equal rights to express their views on this complex issue. However, it is inappropriate for the White House to produce content singling out and condemning the speech of one party. As President, Trump has a responsibility to respect freedoms of speech and bring people together, not inflame divisions. Immigration policy understandably provokes strong emotions, but meeting that with more divisiveness is unproductive. The White House should focus on substantive policy discussions respecting all perspectives. Attacking citizens for their personal expression only breeds further polarization at a time when measured leadership is needed. I urge the administration to recalibrate its approach to model the unity and impartiality Americans expect from their President.