CLOSE "Send her back" chants erupted at a Trump rally as the president criticized Rep. Ilhan Omar for her "contempt" for the "hard-working Americans." Storyful

WASHINGTON – Outrage and expressions of support for Rep. Ilhan Omar flooded social media after a crowd of President Donald Trump's supporters chanted, "Send her back" when he verbally attacked the Minnesota Democrat at a rally Wednesday in North Carolina.

Trump called out Omar and three other liberal congresswomen, all of them minorities, who he said "hate our country." He has leveled volleys against the four women, who call themselves "the Squad," every day this week, beginning with a series of tweets Sunday telling them to "go back" to their countries of origin. A House resolution condemned those comments as racist.

Omar, who arrived in the USA more than 20 years ago after her family fled war-torn Somalia, is the only one of the four congresswomen not born in the USA. Wednesday, Trump criticized Omar for comments she made about Israel that Republican and Democratic lawmakers called anti-Semitic and remarks that were perceived as dismissive of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He repeated some false claims about Omar that circulated online.

"And she looks down with contempt on the hardworking Americans, saying that ignorance is pervasive in many parts of this country," Trump said.

"Send her back," some in the crowd chanted.

Omar quoted from "Still I Rise," a poem by Maya Angelou, which reads, "You may kill me with your hatefulness. But still, like air, I'll rise."

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You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise.



-Maya Angelou https://t.co/46jcXSXF0B — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 18, 2019

"This is what this president and his supporters" have done to change the USA, which is "supposed to be a country where we allow democratic debate and dissent to take place," Omar said Thursday. "And so this is not about me. This is about us fighting for what this country truly should be and what it deserves to be."

Though Trump did not object to the chants during the rally, he said Thursday that he disagreed with the chant and "wasn't happy with that message."

A number of Democratic presidential candidates were among those who denounced the incident.

"#IStandWithIlhan and am proud to work with her in Congress," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. "Trump is stoking the most despicable and disturbing currents in our society. And that very hatred and racism fuels him. We must fight together to defeat the most dangerous president in the history of our country."

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More: Donald Trump blames supporters for 'send her back' rally chant that triggers outrage

#IStandWithIlhan and am proud to work with her in Congress.



Trump is stoking the most despicable and disturbing currents in our society. And that very hatred and racism fuels him. We must fight together to defeat the most dangerous president in the history of our country. — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) July 18, 2019

"Tonight on a stage the President returned to bigotry once again. Inciting hatred – it's what he likes to do," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

Tonight on a stage the President returned to bigotry once again. Inciting hatred—it's what he likes to do. The words “Are there no limits to what he will say or do?” ring hollow here, until you answer: there is a limit, & it rests with me—stand up, speak out, organize and VOTE. — Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) July 18, 2019

"These chants don’t happen by accident," former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke said. "They are the product of a president who sees our diversity not as a strength, but as a weakness."

These chants don’t happen by accident. They are the product of a president who sees our diversity not as a strength, but as a weakness. I believe in our country. And I believe, together, not allowing our differences to divide us, we will defeat him and everything he stands for. https://t.co/RKZ6PTQM4g — Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) July 18, 2019

Sen. Kamala Harris of California said, "It’s vile. It’s cowardly. It’s xenophobic. It’s racist. It defiles the office of the President. And I won't share it here. It’s time to get Trump out of office and unite the country."

It’s vile.

It’s cowardly.

It’s xenophobic.

It’s racist.

It defiles the office of the President.

And I won't share it here.



It’s time to get Trump out of office and unite the country. — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 18, 2019

"Four days ago, the President of the United States suggested that four elected members of Congress, all women of color, ought to 'go back' to the countries 'from which they came.' And every day since he has repeated this ugly, racist refrain," former Vice President Joe Biden tweeted.

Four days ago, the President of the United States suggested that four elected members of Congress, all women of color, ought to "go back" to the countries "from which they came." And every day since he has repeated this ugly, racist refrain. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 18, 2019

"We’ve heard it before throughout our history, but it has no place in America in 2019," Biden said.

"This kind of politics, sadly, we've seen before," said Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey on MSNBC. He compared Trump's rhetoric to that of the 19th-century anti-immigrant American Party – commonly known as the "Know-Nothing Party" – and to that of the 20th-century segregationist George Wallace.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York equated it to the "lock her up" chant about Trump's 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton that was regularly heard at his other rallies. She compared it to Trump's infamous remarks on an "Access Hollywood" recording in 2005 as expressions of "contempt for women and anyone who threatens this president's fragile ego."

"He should be afraid. We are his worst nightmare. And we will beat him," Gillibrand said.

Whether it's "send her back" or "lock her up," "there has to be some form of punishment" or "grab her by the p***y"—the throughline is contempt for women and anyone who threatens this president's fragile ego.



He should be afraid. We are his worst nightmare. And we will beat him. — Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) July 18, 2019

"This president is desperate," tweeted Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. "Calling out his racism, xenophobia, and misogyny is imperative."

Warren said the president is "trying to divide us and distract from his own crimes, and from his deeply unpopular agenda of letting the wealthy and well-connected rip off the country." She called for his impeachment.

This president is desperate. Calling out his racism, xenophobia, and misogyny is imperative. But he’s trying to divide us and distract from his own crimes, and from his deeply unpopular agenda of letting the wealthy and well-connected rip off the country. We must do more. — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) July 18, 2019

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Omar "makes our country and our Congress better."

"The hate Donald Trump is stoking in North Carolina tonight is odious and un-American," he said.

.@IlhanMN makes our country and our Congress better. The hate Donald Trump is stoking in North Carolina tonight is odious and un-American. https://t.co/w6UsYwuLGb — Jay Inslee (@JayInslee) July 18, 2019

South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg said, "We denounce and reject the president's racist demagoguery – without letting him deny attention to today's extremely important vote on the minimum wage."

This is a day for doing more than one thing at a time. We must denounce and reject the president’s racist demagoguery—without letting him deny attention to today’s extremely important vote on the minimum wage. — Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) July 18, 2019

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., called the chant "horrific, racist garbage."

This is horrific, racist garbage. Rep. Omar is a Congresswoman and an American. https://t.co/UVg2bCbhx0 — Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) July 18, 2019

"I have just one question after the president's rally last night," billionaire Tom Steyer tweeted. "Why aren't racism and inciting a mob against an American & sitting Congresswoman impeachable offenses?"

To each of the 137 Democrats who voted to table an impeachment resolution yesterday, I have just one question after the president's rally last night: Why aren't racism and inciting a mob against an American & sitting Congresswoman impeachable offenses? — Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) July 18, 2019

Author Marianne Williamson said on CNN that Trump's speech was "dangerous" and that it was very important "for all patriotic Americans, whether we're on the left or the right, to be very clear that we don't do that in America. Our political opponents are not our enemies."

"I challenge every Republican to watch @realDonaldTrump’s rally last night, complete with chants of 'Send her back', and ask if that is the Party of Lincoln and Reagan we signed up for," tweeted former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, Trump's lone challenger for the Republican nomination.

I challenge every Republican to watch @realDonaldTrump’s rally last night, complete with chants of “Send her back”, and ask if that is the Party of Lincoln and Reagan we signed up for. We are in a fight for the soul of the GOP, and silence is not an option. #AmericaDeservesBetter — Gov. Bill Weld (@GovBillWeld) July 18, 2019

Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., addressed the chant during a speech from the Senate floor Thursday, denouncing "the way the president appeals to the worst instincts of people."

"What was shouted and chanted at the rally last night without the president upbraiding them" was "despicable," he said.

Schumer said it was "eerily familiar to what happens in dictatorships."

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said it was "chilling and horrifying" to watch Trump "spreading racist and xenophobic propaganda" about Omar.

"There is no place for such racism in our public discourse," he said.

Watching the President lie (again) to the American people, spreading racist and xenophobic propaganda against @Ilhan with the crowd being goaded into chants of “send her back” was both chilling and horrifying. There is no place for such racism in our public discourse. https://t.co/SHm3Svb8Mx — (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) July 18, 2019

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said the "send her back" chant was worse than "lock her up" because "they don’t even have the false pretext of alleged corrupt behavior."

"They are just telling an American with whom they disagree to go back to Africa."

On some level “send her back” sounds similar to “lock her up.” But here is how it is worse to my ears. Now they don’t even have the false pretext of alleged corrupt behavior. They are just telling an American with whom they disagree to go back to Africa. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) July 18, 2019

Like Gillibrand, Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., saw the chant as an expression of misogyny and compared it to other insults Trump leveled at women over the years.

“Send her back. Lock her up. Nasty woman. Horse face. That dog. Face of a pig. Not my type. Fat. Disgusting. Low IQ. Slob. Pocahontas. Blood coming out of her wherever. Look at that face. Grab them by the pussy.”



But nobody has more respect for women? #IStandWithIlhanOmar — Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) July 18, 2019

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., said that if Omar "was white, they would not use that racist trope."

.@realDonaldTrump & @GOP enablers have legitimized the racist chant of "send her back" to an American citizen. If @IlhanMN was white they would not use that racist trope.



If this horrifies you then vote, donate & organize like never before. The soul of our country is at stake. https://t.co/ZeYVX0HqAJ — Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) July 18, 2019

Weld was not the only Republican who spoke out against the chant.

Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., said on Twitter that even though "it was brief" and Omar had a "great disdain" for the USA and Israel, he "struggled" with the chant. He said the focus should be on Omar's positions and "not phrasing that's painful to our friends in the minority communities."

'Disgusted': How Republicans are reacting to 'send her back' chants at Donald Trump's rally

Though it was brief, I struggled with the “send her back” chant tonight referencing Rep. Omar. Her history, words & actions reveal her great disdain for both America & Israel. That should be our focus and not phrasing that’s painful to our friends in the minority communities. — Rep. Mark Walker (@RepMarkWalker) July 18, 2019

"I deeply disagree with the extreme left & have been disgusted by their tone," tweeted Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill. "I woke up today equally disgusted – chants like 'send her back' are ugly, wrong, & would send chills down the spines of our Founding Fathers. This ugliness must end, or we risk our great union"."

I deeply disagree with the extreme left & have been disgusted by their tone. I woke up today equally disgusted - chants like “send her back” are ugly, wrong, & would send chills down the spines of our Founding Fathers. This ugliness must end, or we risk our great union. — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) July 18, 2019

"A chant like 'Send her back!' is ugly and dangerous, and it is the inevitable consequence of President Trump’s demagoguery," said Rep. Justin Amash, who recently left the Republican Party. "This is how history’s worst episodes begin. We must not allow this man to take us to such a place."

"It saddens me beyond belief that the standard-bearer for the Republican Party, my Party, is making 'Send her back' his re-election rallying cry. It’s so ugly. It’s so un-American. It just saddens me beyond belief," said former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh.

It saddens me beyond belief that the standard-bearer for the Republican Party, my Party, is making “Send her back” his re-election rallying cry.



It’s so ugly. It’s so un-American. It just saddens me beyond belief. https://t.co/eM7WT5HZVq — Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) July 18, 2019

Guy Benson, editor of the conservative website Townhall, said it was "an appalling chant."

“Send her back” is an appalling chant. Omar is a US citizen.



My less-catchy chant would be: “Condemn her bigotry, combat her radicalism, and investigate her seriously alleged fraud!” — Guy Benson (@guypbenson) July 18, 2019

" 'Send her back' conservatism is not a conservatism worth defending," conservative commentator Bill Kristol said.

"Send her back" conservatism is not a conservatism worth defending. — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) July 18, 2019

Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt called it a "nativist, terrible chant" and "electoral suicide."

"Send her back" is a nativist, terrible chant. Also electoral suicide. There're more than 400,000 naturalized residents in PA, w/ 200,000 more in Michigan. @realdonaldTrump won PA by and MI by 11K, PA by 44K. #VoteHerOut --fine. #SendHerBack --nativist. Catholics, btw, remember. — Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) July 18, 2019

"We need to be better than chanting #SendHerBack," tweeted self-described Christian conservative Carmine Sabia. "Rep. Ilhan Omar is an American citizen. A self righteous, America hating, anti semitic, bigoted, socialist citizen. But a citizen nonetheless. We do not deport citizens. Disagree with her but do not chant that."

We need to be better than chanting #SendHerBack. Rep. Ilhan Omar is an American citizen. A self righteous, America hating, anti semitic, bigoted, socialist citizen. But a citizen nonetheless. We do not deport citizens. Disagree with her but do not chant that. — Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) July 18, 2019

Some conservatives pushed back against the criticism. An #IStandWithPresTrump hashtag competed with #IStandWithIlhan as a trending hashtag on Twitter on Thursday morning.

"Never-Trumpers and radical Democrats misdiagnosing the audience as racist deplorables because they’re too elitist to even attempt to understand Trump culture hyperbole," conservative commentator Candace Owens tweeted. "Conclusion: Guaranteed re-election for #MAGA."

Election 2016 dejavú! #SendHerBack instead of #LockHerUp



Never-Trumpers and radical Democrats misdiagnosing the audience as racist deplorables because they’re too elitist to even attempt to understand Trump culture hyperbole.



Conclusion: Guaranteed re-election for #MAGA — Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) July 18, 2019

Here are some other reactions from celebrities, pundits and politicians:

So as to this “send her back” thing: any American Jew who doesn’t understand our obligation to protect and speak on her behalf is ignoring the true lesson of the holocaust. Othering people leads to desensitizing leads to dehumanizing leads to destruction. — Brian Koppelman (@briankoppelman) July 18, 2019

You don't have to agree with everything (or anything) naturalized US citizen Rep. Ilhan Omar says to stand with her tonight. I hope you will RETWEET this if, like me, your response to the vile chants of "Send her back!" at Trump's hateful North Carolina rally is #IStandWithIlhan. — Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) July 18, 2019

This is one of the single most racist moments in modern American political history. As Trump began attacking my friend Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, the crowd began chanting “SEND HER BACK, SEND HER BACK.” It’s utterly despicable and dangerous. We are here. We are in THAT time. UGLY. pic.twitter.com/6M0PBXe4Lr — Shaun King (@shaunking) July 17, 2019

The crowd at Trump’s rally chanting “send her back” after the President viciously and dishonestly attacked Ilhan Omar is one of the most chilling and horrifying things I’ve ever seen in politics. — Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) July 17, 2019

Trump and his followers, who now chant “Send her back” at his rallies, have shown the vile depth they will go to just to hold on to power. Now it is time each of us showed how far we will go to defeat Trumpism in 2020. It’s all hands on deck, all good people to the ballot box. — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 18, 2019

Sad part is most at the #TrumpRally wouldn't be able to point out Somalia or even Minnesota on a map. Geography is not a strength. But sure send her back...if you can even place it on a map. — Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) July 18, 2019

I don't know what I'd do if a rally of white nationalists chanted "Send her back!" about myself. #IStandWithIlhan — Diana Hussein (@heyadiana) July 18, 2019

A cult of white supremacists chanting “send her back” in support of Donald Trump’s racist attack on Ilhan Omar. Fascism spreads like wildfire. Especially when it comes from the President of the United States of America. Chilling to my core. pic.twitter.com/mQ0Cy0ffMw — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 18, 2019

Trump's History of Racism:

1. Housing discrimination

2. Central Park 5

3. Casino workers discrimination

3. Birtherism

4. Mexicans are rapists

5. Ban on Muslims

6. "Very fine people" in Charlottesville

7. Black athletes "SOBs"

8. Black countries "shitholes"

9. "Send Her Back" — Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) July 18, 2019

Trump:Send Her Back (p.s not racist)



History: pic.twitter.com/6Q9BZZV5Pc — Ryan Deitsch (@Ryan_Deitsch) July 18, 2019

Vile.

Repellent.

Shameful.

Shocking.

Disturbing.

RACIST.

My verdict on President Trump's 'SEND HER BACK!' rally last night - the most sickening moment of his presidency. https://t.co/IipNjRsI5zpic.twitter.com/cnbfv4Gxoo — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 18, 2019

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/18/ilhan-omar-send-her-back-chant-reactions/1764651001/ </s> US Democratic congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, has responded via Twitter after crowds at a presidential rally chanted "send her back."

The chants started after remarks by President Donald Trump about Omar and they resembled those Mr Trump's supporters had chanted against Hillary Clinton during his presidential campaign in 2016. </s> Donald Trump has said he was unhappy with his supporters chanting “send her back” after he criticised a young Democratic congresswoman who he suggested should leave the US.

Donald Trump has said he was unhappy with his supporters chanting “send her back” after he criticised a young Democratic congresswoman who he suggested should leave the US.

Trump says he was unhappy with supporters chanting ‘send her back’

Speaking in the Oval Office, the US president claimed he tried to stop the chant, which came after he recited a litany of complaints about Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who fled to the US as a child with her family from Somalia.

Video shows the president pausing his remarks, appearing to drink in the uproar and not admonishing his supporters as they chanted.

“I was not happy with it,” Mr Trump said a day later as some prominent Republicans criticised the chant at the president’s re-election event.

He said he “would certainly try” to stop the chant should it return at a subsequent rally.

So far, no Republican lawmakers are directly taking on Mr Trump over the episode.

The muted reactions by congressional Republicans followed a pattern that has become familiar after numerous incidents in Mr Trump’s presidency when he has made antagonistic or racially provocative comments.

At the campaign rally in Greenville, North Carolina, Mr Trump tore into four progressive congresswomen who last weekend he tweeted should return to their native countries if they “hate America”.

Of the four, who strongly oppose many of Mr Trump’s policies, one is black, one is Hispanic and two are Muslim. All are American citizens, and three were born here.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters that such cries “have no place in our party and no place in this country”.

But Mr McCarthy, a staunch Trump ally, said the president’s aversion to Ms Omar is based on ideology, not race.

“This is about socialism v freedom,” he said, a refrain Republicans are increasingly using as they begin trying to frame their offensive against Democrats for the 2020 presidential and congressional campaigns.

Republican Adam Kinzinger of Illinois tweeted that the “send her back” chant was “ugly, wrong, & would send chills down the spines of our Founding Fathers. This ugliness must end, or we risk our great union”.

Fellow Republican Tom Emmer said: “There’s no place for that kind of talk. I don’t agree with it.”

But he defended Mr Trump, saying there is not “a racist bone in this president’s body” and asserting that Mr Trump “said wrong” what he actually meant.

“What he was trying to say is that if you don’t appreciate this country, you don’t have to be here. That goes for every one of us. It has nothing to do with your race, your gender, your family history. It has to do with respecting and loving the country that has given you the opportunities which you have.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Fox Business News that it is time to “lower the rhetoric” about racism. He did not mention the crowd’s chants or Mr Trump’s acceptance of them.

Mr Trump has also been criticising Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.

The Democratic-led House voted on Tuesday to condemn Mr Trump’s tweets as racist. On Wednesday, it rejected an effort by one Democrat that was opposed by party leaders to impeach Mr Trump. </s> Going after four Democratic congresswomen one by one, a combative President Donald Trump turned his campaign rally into an extended dissection of the liberal views of the women of color, deriding them for what he painted as extreme positions and suggesting they just get out.

“Tonight I have a suggestion for the hate-filled extremists who are constantly trying to tear our country down,” Trump told the crowd in North Carolina, a swing state he won in 2016 and wants to claim again in 2020. “They never have anything good to say. That’s why I say, ‘Hey if you don’t like it, let ’em leave, let ’em leave.'”

Eager to rile up his base with the some of the same kind of rhetoric he targeted at minorities and women in 2016, Trump declared Wednesday night, “I think in some cases they hate our country.”

Trump’s jabs were aimed at the self-described “squad” of four freshmen Democrats who have garnered attention since their arrival in January for their outspoken liberal views and distaste for Trump: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. All were born in the U.S. except for Omar, who came to the U.S. as a child after fleeing Somalia with her family.

Taking the legislators on one at a time, Trump ticked through a laundry list of what he deemed offensive comments by each woman, mangling and misconstruing many facts along the way.

Omar came under the harshest criticism as Trump played to voters’ grievances, drawing a chant from the crowd of “Send her back! Send her back!”

She responded Wednesday night with a series of tweets, including one quoting Maya Angelou’s defiant poem, “Still I Rise,” with the words “You may shoot me with your words… But still, like air, I’ll rise.”

“I am where I belong, at the people’s house and you’re just gonna have to deal!” she wrote in another.

Trump set off a firestorm Sunday when he tweeted that the four should “go back” to their home countries — though three were born in the United States. Trump has accused them of “spewing some of the most vile, hateful and disgusting things ever said by a politician.”

He expanded on his criticisms in Greenville.

Among his complaints against Tlaib, Trump correctly reported that she had referred to the president by the “F-word,” adding, “That’s not nice, even for me.” Trump himself had unloaded a vulgarity earlier in his speech, denouncing the Russia probe of his campaign and administration as “bulls—.”

As for Ocasio-Cortez, Trump fumbled over her name and declared, “I don’t have time to go with three different names.” He then referred to her as just “Cortez” as he challenged her complaints about dire conditions at migrant detention centers at the border.

In a lighter moment, Trump wondered if Pressley was related to Elvis Presley, then pivoted to more serious points, claiming she thought people of color should “think the same.”

As for Omar, Trump unfurled a whole list of complaints, including a false accusation that she voiced pride in al-Qaida.

Before he left Washington, Trump said he has no regrets about his ongoing spat with the four. Trump told reporters he thinks he’s “winning the political argument” and “winning it by a lot.”

“If people want to leave our country, they can. If they don’t want to love our country, if they don’t want to fight for our country, they can,” Trump said. “I’ll never change on that.”

Trump’s harsh denunciations were another sign of his willingness to exploit the nation’s racial divisions heading into the 2020 campaign.

His speech was filled with Trump’s trademark criticisms about the news media, which he says sides with liberals, and of special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. Mueller had been scheduled to testify Wednesday on Capitol Hill, but it was postponed . Trump brought him up anyway.

“What happened to me with this witch hunt should never be allowed to happen to another president,” he said.

He also talked about illegal immigration, a main theme of his first presidential bid that is taking center stage in his re-election campaign. He brushed off the criticism he has gotten for saying that the congresswomen should go back home.

The four Democratic freshmen have portrayed the Republican president as a bully who wants to “vilify” not only immigrants but all people of color. They say they are fighting for their priorities to lower health care costs and pass a Green New Deal addressing climate change while his thundering attacks are a distraction and tear at the core of American values.

The Democratic-led U.S. House voted Tuesday to condemn Trump’s “racist comments” despite near-solid GOP opposition and the president’s own insistence that he doesn’t have a “racist bone” in his body.

Trump hasn’t shown signs of being rattled by the House rebuke and called an impeachment resolution that failed in Congress earlier Wednesday “ridiculous.” The condemnation carries no legal repercussions, and his latest harangues struck a chord with supporter in Greenville, whose chants of “Four more years!” and “Build that wall!” bounced off the rafters.

It was Trump’s sixth visit to the state as president and his first 2020 campaign event in North Carolina, where he defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. </s> THE US HOUSE of Representatives has voted to formally condemn Donald Trump for his attacks on four Democratic congresswomen, describing his tweets as racist.

The measure, in itself, has no legal ramifications for the president and the vote was mostly partisan with Democrats backing the rebuke en masse.

Top Republican leaders rallied around Trump, but four members of the president’s party voted with the 235 Democrats to condemn him for “racist comments that have legitimised and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of colour”.

One independent congressman also supported the measure, which takes aim at Trump’s weekend tweets telling a group of progressive Democratic congresswomen of colour to “go back” to other countries.

The resolution also takes the president to task for “referring to immigrants and asylum seekers as ‘invaders’”.

It further criticises him for “saying that Members of Congress who are immigrants (or those of our colleagues who are wrongly assumed to be immigrants) do not belong in Congress or in the United States of America”.

Democrats hold a majority in the 435-member House but are outnumbered by Republicans in the Senate, where the resolution is unlikely to be considered.

The four congresswomen – all but one of whom were born in the US – are of Hispanic, Arab, Somali and African-American descent.

Trump has stuck by the provocative comments.

“Our Country is Free, Beautiful and Very Successful. If you hate our Country, or if you are not happy here, you can leave!” the president tweeted yesterday.

Democratic leaders denounced Trump’s remarks, and rallied around the congresswomen – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley.

Omar is the only one born outside the United States.

Slamming the “so-called vote” as a “Democrat con game,” Trump urged Republicans not to “show ‘weakness’ and fall into their trap.”

“Those Tweets were NOT Racist. I don’t have a Racist bone in my body!” Trump said.

“This should be a vote on the filthy language, statements and lies told by the Democrat Congresswomen, who I truly believe, based on their actions, hate our Country,” he wrote.

“Nancy Pelosi tried to push them away, but now they are forever wedded to the Democrat Party,” Trump added, in a jab at the House speaker who has had a tenuous relationship with the four congresswomen.

Speaking on the House floor prior to the vote, Pelosi said: “Every single member of this institution, Democratic and Republican, should join us in condemning the president’s racist tweets.

“I know racism when I see it. I know racism when I feel it. And at the highest level of government, there’s no room for racism,” Representative John Lewis, an American civil rights icon, said in remarks on the House floor.

Trump’s repeated attacks appear to be aimed at galvanising his mostly white electoral base ahead of the 2020 presidential vote.

Ocasio-Cortez dismissed Trump’s denial that he is a racist.

“You’re right, Mr President – you don’t have a racist bone in your body,” she tweeted. “You have a racist mind in your head, and a racist heart in your chest.”

She also took aim at Republican lawmakers who voted against the resolution, telling CBS News that “they could not bring themselves to have the basic human decency to vote against the statement that the president made.”

Trump meanwhile took to Twitter last night to hail “how unified the Republican Party was on today’s vote”.

While some Republican members of Congress have condemned Trump’s remarks, House Republican leaders closed ranks behind the president.

“This is all about politics,” said House Republican minority leader Representative Kevin McCarthy of California.

Senator Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Republican majority in the Senate, said “the president is not a racist”.

Immediately after the House vote a Democratic congressman, Al Green of Texas, filed articles of impeachment against Trump.

Dozens of other Democratic members of the House have reportedly called for an impeachment inquiry to be opened against the president but Pelosi has said she does not favour such a move at the moment. </s> WASHINGTON - The US House of Representatives formally condemned Donald Trump on Tuesday for xenophobic attacks on four minority Democratic lawmakers and hostile language targeting immigrants, as the president pushed back at accusations of racism.

Top Republican leaders rallied around Trump, but four members of the president's party voted with the 235 Democrats to condemn him for "racist comments that have legitimised and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of colour."

One independent lawmaker also supported the measure, which takes aim at Trump's weekend tweets telling a group of progressive Democratic congresswomen of colour to "go back" to other countries.

The resolution also takes the president to task for "referring to immigrants and asylum seekers as 'invaders.'"

Trump has a long history of pandering to white suspicions about other ethnic groups, and the resolution criticizes him for "saying that Members of Congress who are immigrants (or those of our colleagues who are wrongly assumed to be immigrants) do not belong in Congress or in the United States of America."

Democrats hold a majority in the 435-member House but are outnumbered by Republicans in the Senate, where the resolution is unlikely to be considered.

The four congresswomen - all but one of whom were born in the US - are of Hispanic, Arab, Somali and African-American descent.

Trump has stuck by the provocative comments.

"Our Country is Free, Beautiful and Very Successful. If you hate our Country, or if you are not happy here, you can leave!" the president tweeted Tuesday.

Democratic leaders denounced Trump's remarks, and rallied around the lawmakers - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley.

Omar is the only one born outside the United States.

Slamming the "so-called vote" as a "Democrat con game," Trump urged Republicans not to "show 'weakness' and fall into their trap."

"Those Tweets were NOT Racist. I don't have a Racist bone in my body!" Trump said.

"This should be a vote on the filthy language, statements and lies told by the Democrat Congresswomen, who I truly believe, based on their actions, hate our Country," he wrote.

"Nancy Pelosi tried to push them away, but now they are forever wedded to the Democrat Party," Trump added, in a jab at the House speaker who has had a tenuous relationship with the four left-leaning first-term congresswomen.

Speaking on the House floor prior to the vote, Pelosi said: "Every single member of this institution, Democratic and Republican, should join us in condemning the president's racist tweets."

"To do anything less would be a shocking rejection of our values and a shameful abdication of our oath of office to protect the American people."

"I know racism when I see it. I know racism when I feel it. And at the highest level of government, there's no room for racism," Representative John Lewis, an American civil rights icon, said in remarks on the House floor.

Trump's repeated attacks appear to be aimed at galvanising his mostly white electoral base ahead of the 2020 presidential vote.

"See you in 2020!" said Trump, who before becoming president pushed the racist "birther" conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not born in the United States.

Ocasio-Cortez dismissed Trump's denial that he is a racist.

"You're right, Mr. President - you don't have a racist bone in your body," she tweeted. "You have a racist mind in your head, and a racist heart in your chest."

She also took aim at Republican lawmakers who voted against the resolution, telling CBS News that "they could not bring themselves to have the basic human decency to vote against the statement that the president made."

While some Republican members of Congress have condemned Trump's remarks, House Republican leaders closed ranks behind the president.

"This is all about politics," said House Republican minority leader Representative Kevin McCarthy of California.

Senator Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Republican majority in the Senate, said "the president is not a racist."

Immediately after the House vote a Democratic congressman, Al Green of Texas, filed articles of impeachment against Trump.

Dozens of other Democratic members of the House have reportedly called for an impeachment inquiry to be opened against the president but Pelosi, the House speaker, has said she does not favour such a move at the moment. </s> (GREENVILLE, N.C.) — Going after four Democratic congresswomen one by one, a combative President Donald Trump turned his campaign rally Wednesday into an extended dissection of the liberal views of the women of color, deriding them for what he painted as extreme positions and suggesting they just get out.

“Tonight I have a suggestion for the hate-filled extremists who are constantly trying to tear our country down,” Trump told the crowd in North Carolina, a swing state he won in 2016 and wants to claim again in 2020. “They never have anything good to say. That’s why I say, ‘Hey if you don’t like it, let ’em leave, let ’em leave.'”

Eager to rile up his base with the some of the same kind of rhetoric he targeted at minorities and women in 2016, Trump declared, “I think in some cases they hate our country.”

Trump’s jabs were aimed at the self-described “squad” of four freshmen Democrats who have garnered attention since their arrival in January for their outspoken liberal views and distaste for Trump: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. All were born in the U.S. except for Omar, who came to the U.S. as a child after fleeing Somalia with her family.

Taking the legislators on one at a time, Trump ticked through a laundry list of what he deemed offensive comments by each woman, mangling and misconstruing many facts along the way.

Omar came under the harshest criticism as Trump played to voters’ grievances, drawing a chant from the crowd of “Send her back! Send her back!”

Trump set off a firestorm Sunday when he tweeted that the four should “go back” to their home countries — though three were born in the United States. Trump has accused them of “spewing some of the most vile, hateful and disgusting things ever said by a politician.”

Before he left Washington, Trump said he has no regrets about his ongoing spat with the four. Trump told reporters he thinks he’s “winning the political argument” and “winning it by a lot.”

“If people want to leave our country, they can. If they don’t want to love our country, if they don’t want to fight for our country, they can,” Trump said. “I’ll never change on that.”

Trump’s harsh denunciations were another sign of his willingness to exploit the nation’s racial divisions heading into the 2020 campaign.

His speech was filled with Trump’s trademark criticisms about the news media, which he says sides with liberals, and of special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. Mueller had been scheduled to testify Wednesday on Capitol Hill, but it was postponed. Trump brought him up anyway. “What happened to me with this witch hunt should never be allowed to happen to another president,” he said.

He also talked about illegal immigration, a main theme of his first presidential bid that is taking center stage in his re-election campaign. He brushed off the criticism he has gotten for saying that the congresswomen should go back home. “So controversial,” he said sarcastically.

The four freshmen have portrayed the president as a bully who wants to “vilify” not only immigrants, but all people of color. They say they are fighting for their priorities to lower health care costs and pass a Green New Deal addressing climate change, while his thundering attacks are a distraction and tear at the core of America values.

The Democratic-led U.S. House voted Tuesday to condemn Trump for what it labeled “racist comments,” despite near-solid GOP opposition and the president’s own insistence that he doesn’t have a “racist bone” in his body.

Trump hasn’t shown signs of being rattled by the House rebuke, and called an impeachment resolution that failed in Congress earlier Wednesday “ridiculous.” The condemnation carries no legal repercussions and his latest harangues struck a chord with supporter in Greenville, whose chants of “Four more years!” and “Build that wall!” bounced off the rafters.

Vice President Mike Pence was first up after spending the day in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and visiting troops at Fort Bragg. “North Carolina and America needs four more years,” Pence said.

It was Trump’s sixth visit to the state as president and his first 2020 campaign event in North Carolina, where he defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Before Trump arrived, Wayne Goodwin, chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party, spoke at a rally in Greenville and called Trump “just another corrupt snake oil salesman.”

“From sparking a harmful trade war that puts our farmers in the crosshairs, to giving corporations a billion-dollar giveaway at the expense of our middle class, to repeatedly pushing to end protections for pre-existing conditions and raise health care costs, his broken promises have hurt hard-working families across North Carolina,” Goodwin said. </s> Washington: United States President Donald Trump has said the four Congresswomen, whom he accused of hating the country, could go wherever they want, but they need to love the country to stay here.

Trump said it was terrible when people speak so "badly" and "horribly" about the country. "It's my opinion they (the four Congresswomen) hate our country and that's not good. It's not acceptable," Trump told reporters during his cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday. "It's up to them. Go wherever they want or they can stay. But they should love our country. They shouldn't hate our country," he said.

The response comes amid outrage over the president's comments against four Democratic progressive women -- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley -- that they hate the US and should leave. The Democrats described this as a racist comment, charge refuted by Trump and the White House.

"You look at what they've said. I have clips right here. The most vile, horrible statements about our country, about Israel, about others," Trump said. "It's up to them to 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." The Republican leadership has strongly defended Trump and maintained that Trump was not a racist. "I think there's a consensus that political rhetoric has really gotten way, way overheated all across the political spectrum," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters at the Capitol.

"Lower all this incendiary rhetoric. Everyone should do it." House Majority Leader Stoney Hoyer, meanwhile, said the remarks of Trump were racist and run counter to the nation's values. "Our diversity makes us stronger. The president cannot and will not change that," Hoyer said.

"We condemn the racist remarks of the President of the United States." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said what Trump did was "despicable". "To divide America is not what any president has done. We have seen other presidents make these kinds of appeals a little bit sub rosa," Schumer said. "No one has been so baldly overt in the appeal to bigotry as President Trump and I think it's very bad for the country." </s> GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A combative President Donald Trump rallied Republican supporters Wednesday in North Carolina, harshly criticizing four fiery, left-wing congresswoman of being un-American and claiming they are the face of the Democratic Party that will ruin the country.

“I think in some cases they hate our country,” Trump said to the crowd in North Carolina, a swing state he won in 2016 and wants to win again next year.

Trump’s jabs were aimed at the four freshman Democrats, self-described as “the squad,” who have garnered attention since their arrival in January for their outspoken liberal views and distaste for Trump: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. All were born in the U.S. except for Omar, who came to the U.S. as a child after fleeing Somalia with her family.

Trump recently tweeted that the Democratic congresswomen of color should “go back” to their home countries — though three were born in the United States.

Trump has accused the four of “spewing some of the most vile, hateful and disgusting things ever said by a politician” and has told them, “If you hate our Country, or if you are not happy here, you can leave!”

When he named them at Wednesday’s rally, the crowd booed and launched into chants of “Send her back!”

Before he left Washington, Trump said he has no regrets about his ongoing spat with the four. Trump told reporters he thinks he’s “winning the political argument” and “winning it by a lot.”

“If people want to leave our country, they can. If they don’t want to love our country, if they don’t want to fight for our country, they can,” Trump said. “I’ll never change on that.”

Trump’s harsh denunciations were another sign that the nation is in store for a combative presidential election.

His speech was filled with Trump’s trademark criticisms about the news media, which he says sides with liberals, and special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. Mueller had been scheduled to testify Wednesday on Capitol Hill, but it was postponed. Trump brought him up anyway. “What happened to me with this witch hunt should never be allowed to happen to another president,” he said.

He also talked about illegal immigration, a main theme of his first presidential bid that is taking center stage in his reelection campaign. He brushed off the criticism he has gotten for saying that the congresswomen should go back home. “So controversial,” he said sarcastically.

The four freshmen have portrayed the president as a bully who wants to “vilify” not only immigrants, but all people of color. They say they are fighting for their priorities to lower health care costs and pass a Green New Deal addressing climate change, while his thundering attacks are a distraction and tear at the core of America vales.

The Democratic-led U.S. House voted Tuesday to condemn Trump for what they considered “racist comments,” despite near-solid GOP opposition and the president’s own insistence that he doesn’t have a “racist bone” in his body.

Trump hasn’t shown signs of being rattled by the House rebuke, and called an impeachment resolution that failed in Congress earlier in the day “ridiculous.” The condemnation carries no legal repercussions and his latest harangues struck a chord with his die-hard conservative base. Trump’s comments about it in Greenvilleonly fired up the crowd, whose chants of “Four more years!” and “Build that wall!” bounced off the rafters.

Trump was greeted in an arena at East Carolina University by supporters, many sporting red-white-and-blue outfits and waving “Trump 2020” and “Women for Trump” signs. Vice President Mike Pence was first up after spending the day in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and visiting troops at Fort Bragg.

“North Carolina and American needs four more years,” Pence said.

It was Trump’s sixth visit to the state as president and his first 2020 campaign event in North Carolina, where he defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Before Trump arrived, Wayne Goodwin, chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party, spoke at a rally in Greenville and called Trump “just another corrupt snake oil salesman.”

“From sparking a harmful trade war that puts our farmers in the crosshairs, to giving corporations a billion-dollar giveaway at the expense of our middle class, to repeatedly pushing to end protections for pre-existing conditions and raise health care costs, his broken promises have hurt hard-working families across North Carolina,” Goodwin said.
During a campaign rally, U.S. President Donald Trump says "Squad" members "hate our country". In light of recent statements made by Trump deemed as racist, the crowd of Trump supporters started chanting "send her back" in regards to Representative Ilhan Omar.