Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Cali., made a splash during her visit to The Plains, spending the better part of her speech at the Alabama College Democrats Spring Convention kick-off event railing against President Donald Trump and his first months in office.
"Not my president," Waters, introduced by Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., said as she took the stage in Foy Hall.
"I've decided to put my career on the line," Waters said. "Because I've never seen anything like Donald Trump before in my life.
"I am so offended by him. I cannot believe that this is the leader of the freest country in the world."
Waters powered through her laryngitis to air her dirty laundry list of Trump's misgivings.
A list that included the airstrikes in Syria and the bombing of ISIS tunnels in Afghanistan, and the possibility of further conflict without Congress' approval.
"If he continues to do that, and try to disregard us and try to create war — I've already said he needs to be impeached," she said.
Waters said she has begun to disregard the reaction to some of her controversial statements, saying she has stepped "outside the box," to bring attention to the numerous impeachable offenses she believes President Donald Trump has committed.
"I get that I make some of our colleagues nervous, and some of the leadership nervous," she said. "That's okay. You know what I've discovered in life? I discovered if you're doing something, you're going to make somebody nervous."
Waters also noted the recent popularity she's garnered with Democrats, as one of the party's most vocal detractors of the White House.
"I've been adopted. I've been adopted by millennials," Waters said. "And now I'm everybody's auntie: Auntie Maxine."
Waters took aim at Trump's cabinet, especially Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, calling her a threat to public education in the country; Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, saying he was appointed to get sanctions on Russian oil drilling lifted; Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin, accusing the former Goldman Sachs executive of being a predatory lender; and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson.
"He had the audacity to appoint Ben Carson to HUD," Waters said. "Some people say 'Maxine don't be too hard on Ben Carson. He's an African-American man, give him a chance.' I'll give him a chance, alright, to make it to the door. He doesn't know anything about HUD."
Waters then launched into the investigations looking into connections between Russian authorities and the Trump campaign currently being conducted by various bodies, including the House Intelligence Committee, a committee that Sewell sits on. Waters named numerous former Trump staffers with alleged ties to the Kremlin, including Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn.
Waters called on Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes, R-Cali., who has already recused himself from the investigation, to remove himself from the committee altogether. She said she has placed her faith in any results from investigations in Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who serve on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
"Democrats, our democracy is at stake," Waters said to the crowd. "It's time for us to grab from them (Republicans) the fact that we love this country as much as anybody else, and we're prepared to fight for it."
Before leaving the stage by leading an "Impeach 45" chant, Waters referenced the dossier published earlier this year, that included uncorroborated allegations of wrongdoings by the Trump campaign and transition team, calling on Sewell to get to the bottom of it all.
"When someone shows you who they are, believe them," Waters said, recalling the words of Maya Angelou. "I believe him, and the more I learn about him, the more I discovered about him, the more I'm moving to say 'we got to impeach him.'"
Foy Hall was a little more than half full on Friday night. Several prominent state officials, including State House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, and Democratic Chairwoman Nancy Worley, attended the College Democrats' kick off event.
"I think the energy was very positive," said Alabama College Democrats President Calvin Wilborn. "Most of the audience here today came ready and looking to hear something from the congresswomen to empower and encourage and motivate them, and I think that's what they did."
Wilborn linked the congresswomen's visit with that of alt-right figure Richard Spencer, who spoke in the same room three days ago to a larger, albeit less friendly, audience.
"For us to be in the auditorium that a white nationalist spoke in just three days ago and the message that was delivered on how we need to unite against what is wrong and how much unity can help us right now, I think it was very timely."
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