Donald Trump has placed his party in a very difficult situation. He has been a racist at his rallies, and his followers cheered. Gradually, the president has brought his racism into the open, as he did after the White Nationalists’ frightening march on Charlottesville. He said that there were good people on both sides. Yet, the image of row after row of angry young white men carrying torches through the night burned in people’s memory. This time, though, the president went too far.
He attacked four freshmen Democratic House women of color. They did not respond in the manner Trump is used to women responding. He has known the women who fawned over him, because he was rich. Then, there were the traditional women from his era who grew up letting the man have his way, as Melania Trump says she does now.
POTUS is in new territory now and armed only with old coping mechanisms. He spoke to reporters before his cabinet meeting. They pressed him about telling the four to “go back” to their home countries. He said, CNN reported in live updates:
‘It’s up to them. They can go wherever they want, or they can stay. But they should love our country. They shouldn’t hate our country. You look at what they’ve said — I have clips right here — the most vile, horrible statements about our country, about Israel, about others. It’s up to them. They can do what they want. They can leave. They can stay. But they should love our country, and they should work for the good of our country.’
In his weekend tweet, the president said these Democratic women should “help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came.” These women all are American citizens, three of them born in the U.S. They are Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Ilhan Omar(MN), Ayanna Pressley (MA), and Rashida Tlaib (MI). Only Omar was born off-shore in war-ravaged Somalia. Her family members were all legal asylum seekers.
The four women held a brief press conference. They are all very bright, very strong, and very used to fighting for what is important. They fought back in a dignified manner relying on what is good in the American hearts. Trump did only what he knew to do. He stepped up his attacks on them.
He said they hated America, hated Jews, hated Israel, and loved terrorists. He added that these four were “free to leave,” if they chose. Representative Ocasio-Cortez said that people do not leave what they love. POTUS also said that he did not have a “racist bone in his body.” No, he has 203 of them.
The Republican leadership spoke to reporters for a few moments. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that Trump was not a racist, but he beat a hasty retreat when reporters asked about telling his wife to go back where she came from. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao came to the U.S. when she was eight-years-old and became a naturalized citizen. She comes from a wealthy Chinese shipping family.
House Democrats introduced a resolution to condemn Donald Trump’s comments as racist.
In the meantime, 2020 Democratic presidential candidates have spoken out against the president for his remarks. They include: Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
While GOP congressional leadership has said the president and his remarks are not racist, House Democrats introduced a resolution Monday night to condemn his comments as racist.
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
