U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, told party activists those who stopped a white supremacist from attacking two African-American girls on a Portland train proved that “courage and leadership are alive in this country.”

He said their courage — two of the three men who defended the girls were killed — is part of the “call of our day” and part of why the agendas of President Trump and Gov. Scott Walker must be defeated.

He said Trump doesn’t realize that Islamophobia doesn’t just demean Muslims, racism doesn’t just disparage African Americans, misogyny doesn’t just hurt women and xenophobia doesn’t just hurt immigrants.

“We all are diminished so we all have a stake in confronting bigotry in every form,” Kind said.

Kind also took aim at Trump’s slogan “make America great again” when Republicans are embracing legislation that would leave 23 million fewer citizens covered by health care, allow insurance companies to discriminate those against pre-existing conditions and cut Medicaid.

“What President Kennedy and President Obama knew better than Trump is we can’t make America great again until we make America good again,” Kind said.

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