Lateefah Simon walked out of Trump's joint address to congress

Fremont's controversial camping ban ordinance was nearly gutted; Oakland council candidate takes exception to labor-backed IE using paid volunteers to support her opponent

Rep. Lateefah Simon at the U.S. Department of Education last week.

☕️MORNING BUZZ

—East Bay Rep. Lateefah Simon provided the rebuttal to President Trump’s Joint Session of Congress address for the Working Families Party on Tuesday evening.

But her biggest statement was made earlier on the House floor.

Simon, who succeeded Barbara Lee in the 12th District last fall, walked out of Trump’s speech in protest.

“I attended the Joint Session because I felt it was my duty to uphold Congress’ power of checks and balances and be a witness to truth. There was no truth to be found,” Simon said, in a statement.

In particular, Simon took exception to Trump’s comments about Social Security and the firing of federal employees.

“I don’t need to listen to more of the President’s lies or blatant celebration of racism and transphobia—and I’m focused on the real work for our communities in California’s 12th Congressional District.”

Several other Democratic members of congress walked out of the president’s speech. Texas Rep. Al Green was escorted out by the sergeant of arms after interrupting the address.

—Rep. Ro Khanna was also critical of Trump’s mischaracterization of Social Security, in addition to his comments about Medicaid.

“Trump making false claims about social security and all you hear is Republican laughter,” Khanna wrote on X.

“They want to cut social security and Medicaid. This is their core agenda. Reverse Roosevelt. They are no longer even hiding it.”

—Khanna brought Carlos Eduardo Espina, an immigrant rights social media influencer as his guest to Tuesday night’s Joint Session of Congress.

—Rep. Eric Swalwell’s guest was Jason Selvig, one half of the comedy duo, The Good Liars. “This guy can call bullshit. And Donald Trump is the biggest bullshitter to address Congress,” Swalwell wrote on Facebook.

—More inside:

• Fremont amends its controversial camping ban, but not before nearly gutting the ordinance.

• Alameda takes a step toward automated red light cameras.

• More chaos at the Hayward school district after embattled superintendent submits his resignation.

• Oakland council candidate lashes out at a labor-backed IE that is spending heavily on paid volunteers to support her opponent.

• A second IE in support of Loren Taylor’s mayoral campaign emerges

• Oakland special election campaign finance data for Tuesday.

—411 ON THE 510—Become an East Bay Insiders subscriber today and get FULL ACCESS to the inside scoop every weekday morning at 6 a.m. It’s what the insiders read.

—The story of the East Bay’s public corruption scandal will be told here. SUBSCRIBE TODAY!