Twitter’s news aggregator covered White House adviser Stephen Miller’s comments on the Statue of Liberty poem with a credulous disclaimer that its stanzas “technically” are not U.S. law.
The moment — headlined “Stephen Miller’s Statue of Liberty remarks disturbed many” — said of the reaction to Miller’s statement: “The White House advisor appeared to distance himself from the 1883 “huddled masses” poem inscribed at the base of the landmark, chiding reporter Jim Acosta. Miller’s remarks shocked many, even as supporters argue the symbolic poem technically isn’t US law.”
Today's moment of genius brought to you by Twitter Moments. pic.twitter.com/00SpDhTyD1
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) August 3, 2017
Twitter’s news round-up was almost entirely filled with outraged liberals claiming Miller is un-American and a white nationalist for not agreeing “The New Colossus” poem dictates immigration policy.
How did Miller know Statue of Liberty poem was added later? Happens to be popular white nationalist talking point… https://t.co/K2hiTZCFUh
— Sarah Ryley (@MissRyley) August 2, 2017
Excerpt from Stephen Miller's New Statue of Liberty Poem:
"Give me your white, your white,
Your huddled whites yearning to breathe white."— Warren Holstein (@WarrenHolstein) August 2, 2017
A Trump spokesman attack a reporter son of Cuban immigrants as a "cosmopolitan" while dismissing the ideals of the Statue of Liberty; /2
— Dan Murphy (@bungdan) August 2, 2017
CNN reporter Jim Acosta deployed the lines of the poem to argue with Miller during Wednesday’s White House briefing that President Trump’s proposed reduction of legal immigration is un-American.
Miller disagreed by saying the poem was not included with the Statue when it was first unveiled.
In spite of Twitter and Acosta’s wishes, the Statue of Liberty poem is neither a law nor a founding document of the United States of America. (RELATED: The Statue Of Liberty Poem Is Now A Weapon In America’s Culture War)
The poem, written by left-wing poet Emma Lazarus in 1883, was attached to the monument in 1903. It is one of the primary arguments for unrestricted immigration to the U.S. because proponents treat it as akin to a founding document, despite it having no relation to the founding. Additionally, no law states the poem determines immigration policy.