Trump Continues Twitter Assault On 4 Minority Congresswomen
President Trump, a day after using racist language in a tweet directed at four minority members of Congress, dug in further Monday, saying they should apologize "to our Country, the people of Israel and even to the Office of the President."
Trump said "the Radical Left Congresswomen," should apologize 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!"
On Sunday, Trump said the Congresswomen, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rashida Tlaib D-Mich., and Ayanna S. Pressley, D-Mass., should "go back" to their countries of origin (Rep. Omar was born in Somalia, the other three were all born in the United States).
Ocasio-Cortez described Trump's tweets as "hallmark language of white supremacists."
Democrats widely criticized the President's Sunday tweet as racist, but so far, Republicans have been largely silent.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has been at odds with the four Congresswomen, came to their defense Sunday. She tweeted that when Trump "tells four American Congresswomen to go back to their countries, he reaffirms his plan to 'make America Great Again' has always been about making America white again." Pelosi added "Our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power."
In an interview on Fox & Friends Monday morning, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. said Trump should "Aim higher. They are American citizens. They won an election. Take on their policies." But Graham added that "We all know that AOC and this crowd are a bunch of communists," and that "They hate Israel, they hate our own country."
Trump, who in a separate tweet Sunday claimed 94% support by Republican party members, seemed to welcome the storm he set off, saying in another tweet that it was "sad" to see Democrats "sticking up for people who speak so badly of our Country and who, in addition, hate Israel with a true and unbridled passion." [Copyright 2019 NPR]
