Trump: Four Dems hate U. S. and are free to leave
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, under fire for comments that even members of his own party called racist, amplified his attacks on four Democratic congresswomen of color on Monday, saying that they hated America and that one of the first two Muslims elected to Congress sympathized with al- Qaida.
A day earlier, Mr. Trump told the four progressive women who have become some of the young faces of the Democratic Party to “go back” to their countries of origin, though they are all U. S. citizens and three were born in the United States.
In a response from Capitol Hill, the congresswomen denounced the president’s rhetoric and his policies, charging that he was pressing the agenda of white nationalists from the White House.
“He’s launching a blatantly racist attack on four duly elected members of the United States House of Representatives, all of whom are women of color,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar, D- Minn., and the target of Mr. Trump’s most outrageous charges. “This is the agenda of white nationalists, whether it is happening in chat rooms, or it is happening on national TV, and dates back centuries. now it’s reached the White On Monday, he added House garden.” that Ms. Omar, a Somali refugee
The congresswomen and the only one not vowed not to be baited into born in the United States, a sprint to the bottom with a was an al- Qaida sympathizer president they condemned — a false charge that as racist, xenophobic, misogynistic she said she would not “dignify” and criminal. with an answer. Their leader, House “Every time there is a Speaker Nancy Pelosi, white supremacist who attacks pledged to put a resolution or there is a white man on the floor condemning the who kills in a school or in a president’s language — putting movie theater, or in a House Republicans on mosque, or in a synagogue, I defense. don’t expect my white community
But Mr. Trump showed members to respond no sign of relenting. Even as on whether they love that the four spoke, he was online person or not,” she said. calling them “radical At their news conference, Democrats” and Twittershouting, the four condemned rhetoric “IF YOU ARE that they said was intended to NOT HAPPY HERE, YOU distract from what they CAN LEAVE!” called brutal, misguided policies
It was a message the president and misconduct in office. was seen as determined “This is simply a disruption to amplify throughout and a distraction from the day. the callous, chaotic and corrupt
“They’re free to leave if culture of this administration,” they want,” Mr. Trump said said Ms. Pressley, Monday morning of the who made a point of not referring congresswomen, referring to the president by to Reps. Omar, Alexandria name, instead calling him Ocasio- Cortez of New York, “the occupant of the White Rashida Tlaib of Michigan House.” and Ayanna Pressley of In his appearance earlier Massachusetts. On Sunday, Monday, Mr. Trump had he tweeted that the socialmediasought to deflect criticism savvy women about his tweets even as he known as “the squad” made it clear he stood behind should “go back” to the them, saying it was Ms. countries they came from, a Pelosi who was the real racist. well- worn racist trope that As evidence, he pointed to a tweet in which Ms. Pelosi said his statements about the congresswomen confirmed that his “Make America Great Again” slogan “has always been about making America white again.”
A handful of Republicans joined a chorus of Democrats in criticizing his incendiary posts, a rare break that demonstrated the degree to which the latest episode is being regarded as a new low for a president who has repeatedly shown a penchant for diminishing the level of discourse.
Rep. Michael Turner, ROhio, wrote on Twitter that the president’s tweets “were racist and he should apologize,” adding, “We must work as a country to rise above hate, not enable it.” And Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, the lone AfricanAmerican among House Republicans, called the president’s remarks “racist and xenophobic.”
Others gently distanced themselves from the tweets — “aim higher,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R- S. C., said during an interview on Fox News, the president’s favorite channel — but grabbed the opportunity to criticize the progressive policies for which the squad has become the most visible advocates.