Republicans jabbed over ‘faux-outrage’
Congresswoman Alexandria OcasioCortez, D, came to the defence of counterpart Rashida Tlaib, D, — denouncing what she called “fauxoutrage” over profane language Tlaib used while calling for President Donald Trump’s impeachment.
“Republican hypocrisy at its finest: saying that Trump admitting to sexual assault on tape is just ‘locker room talk,’ but scandalising themselves into faux-outrage when my sis says a curse word in a bar,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “GOP lost entitlement to policing women’s behaviour a long time ago. Next.”
Speaking directly to Tlaib, who last Friday became the first Palestinian American woman sworn in as a member of Congress, OcasioCortez added: “I got your back.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s comments come in response to a wave of criticism aimed toward Tlaib, who spoke candidly during a reception for progressive group MoveOn.org. In a video that went viral, she used an expletive while vowing that the Democrat-controlled House would focus their efforts on removing Trump from office.
Several of her Democratic colleagues showed concern with the choice of words. Congressman Elijah Cummings characterised the speech as “inappropriate” and potentially distracting and counterproductive for Democrats.
Trump called Tlaib’s comments “disgraceful”. He said: “I assume she’s new. I think she dishonoured herself, and I think she dishonoured her family. I thought it was highly disrespectful to the United States of America.”
Meanwhile, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren spent a first full day of campaigning in Iowa.
Warren said her mother’s minimum-wage job saved her family when Warren was a child, and enabled Warren’s career as a teacher, professor and now senator considering a presidential run. People stood in parking lots, jostled into front yards and packed into the rafters to see her even though the Iowa caucuses remain 13 months away.