Sen. Dick Durbin delivers a fiery farewell speech and unleashes a sharp attack on President Donald Trump, calling him a “5-time draft-dodging coward” while rallying Illinois Democrats for the political battles ahead.
Durbin also criticized the Trump administration over presidential power, immigration enforcement, the National Guard, healthcare, economic policy and what he described as threats to the rule of law.
The Illinois Democrat highlighted battles against Trump administration policies, including his efforts to challenge the deployment of the Texas National Guard in Illinois and defend federal funding, birthright citizenship and reproductive rights.
The speech comes as Democrats prepare for the 2026 midterm elections, with Durbin urging supporters to organize, vote and fight back against the Trump administration.
Watch the full report for Durbin’s explosive Trump remarks, “draft-dodging coward” attack, farewell speech, Illinois Democrats, Trump administration criticism and 2026 midterm election message.
#DickDurbin #Trump #DonaldTrump #Durbin #TrumpNews #Democrats #IllinoisPolitics #Midterms2026 #USPolitics #DemocraticParty #TrumpAdministration #BreakingNews #PoliticalNews #Congress #Illinois
~HT.318~ED.194~PR.462~GR.508~VG.HM~
Durbin also criticized the Trump administration over presidential power, immigration enforcement, the National Guard, healthcare, economic policy and what he described as threats to the rule of law.
The Illinois Democrat highlighted battles against Trump administration policies, including his efforts to challenge the deployment of the Texas National Guard in Illinois and defend federal funding, birthright citizenship and reproductive rights.
The speech comes as Democrats prepare for the 2026 midterm elections, with Durbin urging supporters to organize, vote and fight back against the Trump administration.
Watch the full report for Durbin’s explosive Trump remarks, “draft-dodging coward” attack, farewell speech, Illinois Democrats, Trump administration criticism and 2026 midterm election message.
#DickDurbin #Trump #DonaldTrump #Durbin #TrumpNews #Democrats #IllinoisPolitics #Midterms2026 #USPolitics #DemocraticParty #TrumpAdministration #BreakingNews #PoliticalNews #Congress #Illinois
~HT.318~ED.194~PR.462~GR.508~VG.HM~
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NewsTranscript
00:00I've been sitting here listening to the wonderful words that have been spoken by so many people.
00:07And during the course of that, I remembered words spoken to me by a little girl in a cafeteria in
00:15a school in Chicago.
00:18You see, we had a press conference in the summer months to encourage the students to come back to school
00:25for lunch,
00:26free lunch, a good lunch, one that they needed.
00:30And there I was with the television cameras making this plea while the kids were eating at a table.
00:36And after a minute, I thought to myself, Durbin, you've been around this business for a while.
00:42If you want to be on the Chicago television news tonight, ditch the cameras and go sit with the kids.
00:48So I walked over and sat down next to these children.
00:52The television cameras followed me.
00:55The kids stopped eating.
00:58One little girl said, who are you?
01:03And I said, I'm Dick Durbin.
01:06She said, what do you do?
01:09I said, I'm a United States senator.
01:12She said, well, good for you.
01:18So when I see this gathering and all of the presentations that have been made by my friends,
01:25I first thank Mark Gately, Organized Labor, and a lot of the organizers.
01:31I get a lot more credit for this event than I deserve.
01:34The person who deserves the most credit is Bill Hulingham.
01:46Remember Bill, remember Bill in your thoughts and prayers.
01:50And also I want to thank our friends in Organized Labor who stood by us.
01:56I want to thank my great staff that has gathered here today, Claudio Sol Duque, Kaylee Golson.
02:02He's not here, but Pat Suter's there, the backbone of a great and effective staff.
02:08I, of course, want to thank the founder of I Will, a lady I have known for a number of
02:14years.
02:14Loretta, it works.
02:42Loretta, it works.
02:46He did it during the course of his campaign.
02:47I should go down to West Frankfort, Illinois.
02:50Anybody here from West Frankfort?
02:52Hey!
02:54And keep an eye out for a state senator.
02:58Couldn't miss him.
02:59He was wearing horn-rimmed glasses and had a bow tie.
03:02His name was Paul Simon.
03:09In just a very short period of time, I struck up a friendship with Paul.
03:13And he offered me, when he was elected lieutenant governor, my first job out of law school to be parliamentarian
03:22of the Illinois State Senate.
03:24I had no idea what that was, but I desperately needed that paycheck.
03:29So I studied up on it and drove a U-Haul truck back from Washington to Springfield.
03:35Loretta was on the plane with her baby.
03:37And we started our life here in this town.
03:40It's been a wonderful experience.
03:42For me, politics is in my bloodstream.
03:45And as Morris Udall once said, if you have politics in your bloodstream, only embalming fluid will replace it.
03:54He's exactly right.
03:55I met some wonderful people along the way.
03:59I lost three straight elections.
04:01I don't recommend that.
04:03And each time, Paul Simon would lift me up, dust me off, and say, let's go get him again.
04:08I want to acknowledge his daughter, Sheila Simon.
04:12And Perry, welcome to Springfield.
04:17Great family.
04:20A lot has been said about a lot of people, but I want to mention two or three.
04:25Tammy Duckworth.
04:26God bless Tammy Duckworth.
04:33Tammy came literally rolling into my office one night to go to the State of the Union address,
04:39and I met her and her husband, Brian, both members of the Illinois National Guard, and I was swept away.
04:45I caught her at a weak moment.
04:46She thinks she was on meds, and I asked her if she'd run for office, and she said she would.
04:53Her first race, like my first race, wasn't successful, but the next one was.
04:57And eventually, I'd have her by my side as my colleague and partner in the Senate.
05:03I'm the luckiest senator of the other 99 who serve, because I've got the best and strongest possible partner.
05:10Make sure, as senior senator, you give her all the support you can.
05:19And how about Elizabeth Warren?
05:21Isn't she something?
05:25Are you surprised?
05:27Are you surprised to know when the Democratic senators have a serious conversation about any deep and challenging subject,
05:35she is always the first person who's invited?
05:38Absolutely.
05:40She's so damn smart.
05:42She's that law school professor whose course you just have to take, even if you're not going to get a
05:47good grade,
05:48because you don't want to miss that opportunity.
05:51I'm blessed to call her my colleague and friend, and I thank her for her kind comments.
05:55She's the best.
06:01Julianna, they're waiting for you in Washington.
06:03In just a few months, if we do our work here, you'll be joining them.
06:07I know the origin of your political adventure started with your family, of course, and your dad and his inspiration,
06:17but also with a group called I Will, and you were one of the early classes
06:21and one of the star pupils who graduated from the I Will program,
06:25state representative, lieutenant governor, and now my successor as United States senator.
06:31You're going to be great.
06:40I want to mention a topic because my buddy and friend, the greatest president of my lifetime,
06:48was kind enough to come up with these words of encouragement and recognition today.
06:55Last week, our family visited the Obama Center in Chicago.
07:02Put it on your list of absolute mandatory things you have to do, and I'll tell you why.
07:09Let me tell you why.
07:12Because it not only tells you the history of the Obama administration, and it's a wonderful history,
07:19it will restore your faith in the future and our government.
07:23After all we have been through with this orange-haired president,
07:27after all we have seen of almost six years of his administration,
07:31where he has appealed to fear and hate across America,
07:36it is refreshing to remember the Obama years,
07:39when our theme was hope, confidence, and the motto,
07:43Yes, We Can.
07:49He did things which made difference in people's lives.
07:52I introduced the DREAM Act in the Senate 25 years ago.
07:58I've been able to pass it in the Senate, not the House, in the House, and not the Senate.
08:02And I finally, in frustration, appealed to President Obama personally.
08:06I called him and said, Is there anything you can do?
08:09I can't pass this law, but I hope that you can do something by executive order.
08:14He said he'd work on it.
08:16A year later, he contacted me and said, We have a program called DACA.
08:21And DACA will say, If you were brought to the United States as a child,
08:26your parents made the decision to come, and they didn't file the papers they should have,
08:30and you were undocumented,
08:32you will have a chance to work in the United States legally, and you won't be deported.
08:38You have to go through a criminal background check every two years.
08:44You have to pay a $600 fee every two years, but you're able to work and pursue the future.
08:50That's the DACA program.
08:52It started with the DREAM Act.
08:57Do you know, can you guess, how many young people signed up for that?
09:03835,000.
09:06835,000.
09:09When we had the sign-up day at Navy Pier, Congressman Guterres and I,
09:14we expected 500 people.
09:17We had volunteer attorneys there to help them sign up the papers to go into DACA.
09:2215,000 showed up.
09:25They started gathering at midnight before, parents and their kids,
09:30to register for Obama's DACA program.
09:33And they did it.
09:34And I will tell you, more than one of them came up to me and to clear us all.
09:38And they said something which breaks my heart now to share with you.
09:42They said, Senator, we are turning ourselves into this government.
09:47We are telling this government that we are undocumented.
09:50We have lived a life of silence, begged our kids never to tell anybody that we weren't documented.
09:58And now we're giving the government the information.
10:01Are we safe in this country to do this?
10:03I said, if you follow the law in America, we have always said we will stand by you.
10:09I believe that.
10:10Until this president.
10:12He is now pursuing these DACA kids to deport them with the information they filed with the government.
10:19That is just plain wrong.
10:21That is unjust and it's un-American.
10:31So I appeal to you, when we see these ICE agents tearing people's lives apart and literally killing them in
10:38the streets of America,
10:39we've got to stand up and speak up.
10:42Immigration is part of this country.
10:44My mother was an immigrant to this country, and I'm damn proud of it.
10:48Immigrants have been a part of our nation from the beginning, and they will be in the future.
10:56I've appealed to my colleagues in the Senate to carry on the fight, and I know they will.
11:01Counting on you, Julianna, to join them in that effort.
11:04I think it will make a big difference in our future.
11:06The day will come when this is behind us, and that day is 76 days away,
11:11when we have a chance to make an impact on an election.
11:15Let us stand up, speak up, vote, organize,
11:20and bring together the voters of this state for the right reason.
11:25Let me conclude by saying a lot more I could talk about,
11:29but you've been very patient sitting there so far this morning.
11:32It's been the honor of my life to be a kid coming out of East St. Louis.
11:43Yesterday I went down to the house I grew up in, in East St. Louis, 484 North 29th Street.
11:50It's been abandoned for four years, but the front door was open.
11:54And so I got to walk through the house where, as a little kid, I grew up.
11:58If you ever had that experience, you'd be amazed how small everything is.
12:04But it reminded me of my roots, a working family, a labor family,
12:08a family that had immigrant roots, who did their best to make a living for three kids,
12:15gave me a fighting chance to be educated,
12:18and have world lifetime opportunities that are just unimaginable.
12:24You have been the key to that.
12:26Your support through your votes and efforts have given me a chance to serve.
12:31I have tried to return the favor,
12:33to make sure I look back on that ladder and help somebody up behind me.
12:38That is the future of our party,
12:40and we've got to remember it at every possible level.
12:43Loretta and I are honored to be with you today.
12:46We will be in the future.
12:48The next time, I'll be sitting out there in your chair saying,
12:51how long is this thing going to go?
12:55The good news is I think I'm the last speaker.
12:58Thank you so much.
13:06Wait, wait, wait, wait.
13:10Senator, we've prepared a few things.
13:12We're not quite done yet, so come here and watch the video.
13:14Come over here.
13:15Come over by me.
13:16We're going to be a big one.
13:17We're going to be a big one.
13:17We're going to be a big one.
13:28Dick Durbin will make a great United States Senator,
13:32but that necktie will have to go.
13:34Dick Durbin for the United States Senate.
13:38Your dear friend and mentor of mine and yours, Paul Simon,
13:44be very proud of the service that you've provided the state of Illinois
13:47and the work that you've done countless times, time and time again.
13:53You've reached out and tried to help every community when struggle or weather or economic hard times,
14:01it didn't matter.
14:02If people were in need, you were there.
14:05Thank you for all you've done for decades, for our state, for this great nation.
14:10We would not be here without you.
14:12And just, you know, I can't say enough.
14:15From the bottom of my heart, I just think you're the best person in the whole world.
14:19And thank you.
14:20Illinois is better because you serve us.
14:22America is better because you serve us.
14:25And I am better because you believe in me.
14:28You told me that public service is about doing the work, treating people with dignity,
14:32and sticking with the difficult things long after the cameras have left and the applause have stopped.
14:38Thank you, Senator Durbin.
14:40Senator Durbin has been in every county in the state of Illinois.
14:44Thank you, Senator Durbin, for everything that you've done to support our organization.
14:49Senator Durbin, as far as I'm concerned, you're the best senator in the country.
14:54Senator Durbin has always used his extensive connections to help grow IWELL's network,
14:59introducing the organization to new partners and supporters who continue to strengthen and improve the program.
15:06We are forever grateful.
15:08We wish you, Loretta, and the entire Durbin family all the best.
15:14In this fight to pass comprehensive criminal justice reform,
15:17Dick Durbin has been working on these issues for years and years.
15:20And America is a better place because of your extraordinary leadership.
15:25Thank you, Senator Durbin, for your years of service,
15:28but also being an ally to so many women elected coming up here in Illinois.
15:33I hope you enjoy your next stage, your next chapter,
15:36and we just appreciate everything you've done here in our state.
15:39Both his parents were union members,
15:41and Senator Durbin has never forgotten where he came from.
15:45Let me tell you about the Durbin's of East St. Louis, Illinois.
15:49We were Catholics, members of unions.
15:53We ate fried chicken after church on Sunday,
15:57drove Ford automobiles,
15:59and we were Democrats.
16:02I learned that lesson from my family early on,
16:06and thank God I did.
16:07Probably the most important lesson that they taught me,
16:10the difference between Democrats and Republicans.
16:13Our party is a party of hope, determination,
16:17fairness, and respect for the law and Constitution.
16:21I'll tell you, I'll never forget this party, this state,
16:24and what you've meant to my life.
16:25It really has made a difference, and I hope I have, too.
16:28Thank you all.
16:29Thank you all.
16:41Senator Durbin, for all the work you've done for the Democratic Party,
16:46on behalf of the Chairs Association,
16:48I present you our Party Building Award.
16:51From this point on,
16:53it's going to be called the Dick Durbin Party Builder Award.
17:10Thanks a lot.
17:20Did you try your luck with the 50-50 cash raffle?
17:23If so, get your raffle tickets out,
17:25as President Bart Gately draws the winning ticket.
17:31Okay, it's raffle time.
17:32Get your tickets.
17:34The winner gets $7,300, so good luck.
17:40Thank you for participating.
17:41Thank you for being here today.
18:03And the winner is Stark County Dems.
18:07Stark County in the house.
18:09You're the winner.
18:11Thank you, everybody.
18:13Thank you for being here.
18:16Thank you for joining us today for the County Chairs Brunch.
18:20Make plans to join us for next year's County Chairs Brunch
18:23on August 18, 2027.
18:25We'll see you at the fairgrounds.
18:30Subscribe to One India and never miss an update.
18:35Download the One India app now.
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