Luis Gutierrez
In this photo, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill) delivers remarks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 25, 2016. Getty Images / Alex Wong

One of the talking points from President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address was when Luis Gutierrez, a Democratic congressman, walked out as Republicans started chanting “U.S.A., U.S.A.”

Reports stated that the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 4th congressional district ducked out of the chamber at the end of Trump’s speech while others around him applauded. After his exit, Gutierrez issued a response in which he sarcastically said that Trump’s speech was well delivered and whoever translated it from Russian did a great job.

In his statement, Gutierrez also discussed dreamers along with Trump’s lack of mention about Puerto Ricans in the aftermath of hurricane Maria. He ended his statement by describing the POTUS as an "outwardly and explicitly racist American President."

Here is his full statement:

“Even though I disagreed with almost everything he said, for Trump, the speech was clear and well-delivered. Whoever translated it for him from Russian did a good job.
I am still hopeful, but I don’t see this Congress and this President coming to an agreement that prevents the deportation of the Dreamers. The White House agenda is to gut legal immigration in exchange for allowing some of the Dreamers to live here. For those of us who support legal immigration, and that’s most Democrats and many Republicans, it won’t fly. And the Dreamers themselves have said they do not want legal status if it comes at the expense of others who will suffer more as part of the bargain. The speech did nothing to bring the pro- and anti-immigrant sides closer together.
I was hoping for some sort of apology on Puerto Rico, but I heard nothing. Puerto Rico is a metaphor for how this President sees all Latinos and people of color: he does not see us as his equals and he does not see us as fellow human beings. If you look at how the President has treated Puerto Rico, you have to conclude that he just doesn’t care and probably thinks of Puerto Rico as just another shithole country.
I was born in 1953 in the U.S. when separate but equal was the law of the land. I am proud of the progress the United States has made as a nation on issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, and many other areas where we have advanced. I was hoping to get through my life without having to witness an outwardly, explicitly racist American President, but my luck ran out.”

However, even after his scathing remarks, Gutierrez’s spokesman insisted that his walkout was not a political gesture but was based on scheduling. “He was trying to make it to Univision and watched the last 90 seconds on TV. It was not a protest or anything. He was just trying to get ahead of the crowd,” he said, the Daily Mail reported.

Gutierrez, who has been an advocate of progressive causes, had announced in November that he won’t be seeking re-election this year in order to focus all his efforts on helping to repair Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria's devastation.