House votes to condemn Trump tweet

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives, in a stunning rebuke of a sitting president, voted Tuesday to “strongly condemn” President Donald Trump’s suggestion that four freshman Democratic women of color“go home”— a Twitter broadside described in a Democratic resolution as “racist comments that have legitimized and increased fear and hatred of new Americans.”

The House vote to condemn was 240-187, with Democrats joined by four Republicans and one Republican-turned-independent congressman.

The four Republicans who broke with their party to vote against Trump are Reps. Will Hurd of Texas, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Fred Upton of Michigan and Susan W. Brooks of Indiana. They were joined by Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, a Trump critic who recently abandoned the Republican Party to become an independent. Each had his or her reasons.

Hurd, a former CIA agent and the only black Republican in the House, barely hung onto his seat. Fitzpatrick squeaked past his Democratic opponent last year and often votes with Democrats. (He has also signed a congressional pledge to civility.) Upton, a centrist and House veteran who also advocates civility, is retiring, and thus not beholden to Trump.

“If we’re going to bring civility back to the center of our politics, we must speak out against inflammatory rhetoric from anyone in any party anytime it happens,” Upton wrote Tuesday on Twitter.