WASHINGTON, D. C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine today issued the below statement after meeting with President Trump and White House officials alongside other state attorneys general. The meeting was held as part of the National Association of Attorneys General winter meeting in the District:

“I agreed to join today’s meeting with President Trump so my fellow attorneys general and I could discuss our significant concerns over many actions and statements by the Trump administration that threaten our most cherished freedoms and values.

Today, President Trump heard about our alarm at how the nation’s political climate has contributed to a significant increase in hate speech and bias crimes against religious and ethnic minority groups. We also underscored our strong objections to his executive order banning immigration and travel to the United States from seven majority Muslim nations -- an order we firmly believe is unlawful, unconstitutional and un-American. Furthermore, we told him how harmful his plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act would be for millions of Americans across our nation. We also discussed our mutual concerns over the growing heroin and opioid abuse epidemic in our country.

We did our part in today’s meeting to make the President aware that tens of millions of Americans -- including his own neighbors here in the District of Columbia -- are very troubled by some of his policies. I’m thankful that my colleagues and I were able to share our views directly with him, and I hope he will reconsider some of his own views as a result of our conversation.”