Trump doubles down as critics paint him as racist
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump roiled Capitol Hill on Monday with continued criticism of four freshman lawmakers of color, demanding that they apologize for their policies and language.
The targets of his recent tweets are Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
The four fired back at an afternoon news conference, calling Trump’s remarks xenophobic, bigoted and blatantly racist.
Trump took to Twitter to double down on his attack on the four congresswomen, one day after he told them to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it is done.”
The biggest problem with
that suggestion is that of the four, only Omar, who was born in Somalia, is an immigrant. She became a citizen when she turned 17. The other three were born in the United States.
In his new attack, Trump wrote: “When will the Radical Left Congresswomen apologize to our Country, the people of Israel and even to the Office of the President, for the foul language they have used, and the terrible things they have said.
“So many people are angry at them & their horrible & disgusting actions!”
At a White House event, Trump said he would not apologize for the remarks and instead urged the lawmakers to leave the country.
“Well, they’re very unhappy. I’m watching them. All they do is complain,” Trump said. “So all I’m saying is if they want to leave, they can leave.”
Nevada representatives react
Rep. Dina Titus, D-nev., said “Donald Trump’s bigoted attacks over the weekend were intended to divide this country. That’s why it’s important for leaders on both sides of the aisle to speak up. It shouldn’t be so hard to denounce xenophobia and racism.”
And Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-nev., a former synagogue president, said that when it comes to debating partisan policies, “we can disagree on the issues in a civil manner.”
“But let’s be clear,” Rosen said. “Telling someone to go back to where they came from is hateful and racist. Period.”
All four congresswomen were swept into office in a blue-wave midterm election in 2018 that was largely seen as a referendum on the president’s policies, which included a tax cut largely seen as benefiting wealthier Americans and efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
Firing back
Pressley encouraged her supporters to “not take the bait” and said she and the others targeted by Trump have broad support in the country.
“Our squad is big,” she said, using the nickname preferred by the four women. “Our squad includes any person committed to building a more equitable and just world. … And given the size of this squad in this great nation, we cannot, we will not be silenced.”
Omar said Trump’s attack was “the agenda of white nationalists.”
“This is his plan to pit us against each other,” she said. “So it is time for us to stop allowing this president to make a mockery out of our Constitution. It’s time for us to impeach this president.”
Ocasio-cortez said Trump attacked her and the others because he can’t debate the issues.
“Weak minds and leaders challenge loyalty to our country in order to avoid challenging and debating the policies,” she said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-calif., told her Democratic caucus Monday that “the president went beyond his own low standards, using disgraceful language about members of Congress.”
Pelosi, who herself has been criticized by the four women as insufficiently progressive and even racially biased, said Sunday that when the president tells “four American congresswomen to go back to their countries, he reaffirms (that) his plan to ‘Make America Great Again’ has always been about making America white again.”
Republicans condemn tweets
Even a few Republicans ventured into the debate. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., after calling the women “a bunch of communists,” said the president should “aim higher” and attack their policy proposals and not them personally.
Rep. Will Hurd, R-texas, the only African-american Republican in the House, told CNN the president’s comments about the four women were “racist and xenophobic.”
A GOP rival also jumped in. Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, called the president’s comments “deplorable and beneath the dignity of the office.”
“We all, including Republicans, need to speak out against these kinds of comments that do nothing more than divide us and create deep animosity, maybe even hatred,” Kasich said.
White House backs Trump
But the administration defended Trump’s remarks.