Ah, freedom. It's such a fleeting thing. Almost an illusion. But for immigrants about to become naturalized citizens it is the realization of a goal, a dream they've long held.

At a citizenship ceremony in Texas, however, it was also a lesson in how to behave in the face of pending autocratic rule.

Federal Judge John Primomo swore in new citizens before offering them a lecture, according to KHOU.

“I can assure you that whether you voted for him or you did not vote for him, if you are a citizen of the United States, he is your president,” Primomo admonished. “He will be your president and if you do not like that, you need to go to another country.”

According to the report, Primomo issued this warning not because he was a Trump supporter, but because he wanted to emphasize respect for the office.

Respect for the office? That's been slowly killed over the last eight years, as the best president we've had maybe ever was constantly disrespected, constantly hated, and constantly spat upon by conservatives.

But you know what? That was their First Amendment right, just like it was mine to criticize them for it. Just like it's Colin Kaepernick's right to take a knee during the National Anthem. It is respectful of the Constitution to peacefully exercise dissent in this country, and that judge should respect that ahead of some "office" that I doubt he respected very strongly over the past eight years.

What an awful thing to say to people who just became citizens. If they ran the country, they'd probably be more respectful of it than our soon-to-be Autocrat-in-Chief.

(h/t TPM)