Ivanka and senior Republicans try to cool ‘send her back’ furore
IVANKA TRUMP and senior Republicans yesterday looked to be trying to distance themselves from the chants of “send her back” at her father Donald Trump’s North Carolina rally.
The chants against Somali-born Congresswoman Ilhan Omar on Wednesday sparked outrage around the world.
Yesterday, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, joined Theresa May and Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, in condemning it. “Without question, I reject [Mr Trump’s comments about Ms Omar and others] and stand in solidarity with the congresswomen he targeted,” said Mrs Merkel.
Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, also made a thinly disguised reference to the chant in a speech on extremism.
“I know what it’s like to be told to go back to where I came from – and I don’t think they mean Rochdale,” he says in an article in yesterday’s Telegraph.
Mr Trump yesterday defended the crowd who chanted, saying: “Those are incredible people, incredible patriots.”
Asked whether he was unhappy with the row, he replied: “I’m unhappy that a congresswoman can say anti-semitic things. I’m unhappy that another congresswoman can hate our country.”
The New York Times reported that Ms
‘I reject Mr Trump’s comments and stand in solidarity with the congresswomen he targeted’
Trump had been uncomfortable with the chants and had urged her father on Thursday to reject them.
Senior Republicans were also reported to have told Mike Pence, the US vice president, that they wanted the president to publicly condemn the yelling. On Thursday, Mr Trump did eventually say he did not approve of it.
Republicans have been notably silent about the row, which was sparked when Mr Trump tweeted a week ago that Ms Omar and three progressive Democratic colleagues, known as The Squad, should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came”.
Several, including Kevin Mccarthy, leader of the Republicans in the House, have condemned the chants. But few have spoken out against the tweets.
Kellyanne Conway, senior adviser to the president, caused further offence when, asked about the issue, she said to a reporter: “What’s your ethnicity?”
A sign appeared on Thursday outside the Friendship Baptist Church in Appomattox, Virginia, saying: “America: love it or leave it.”
Pastor EW Lucas said he put it up “to make remarks regarding the situation in Washington”, adding: “Preachers, by and large, today, are afraid they’re going to hurt somebody’s feelings.
“In the pulpit, I’m afraid I won’t hurt somebody’s feelings.”