Trumps: Tell Four Congresswomen to “Go Back” to the Countries they came from

Donald Trump on Sunday took aim at four Democratic congresswomen by saying they should “go back” to the countries they came from instead of “loudly and viciously telling the people of the United States” how to govern.

With that outburst, Trump got his facts wrong: Only one of the freshman representatives, who have been feuding with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was born in a foreign country. However, all four are women of color.

Trump’s tweet said, “So interesting to see ‘Progressive’ Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world, no loudly and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run.”

The tweet appeared to be aimed at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna S. Pressley of Massachusetts. Of the four, Omar — who was born in Somalia — is the only one who was born outside the U.S.

A few Democrats were quick to respond to Trump’s tweet, including Ocasio-Cortez, who pointed out she was born in the U.S. Senator Cory Booker said, “We’ve heard this our whole lives. Now we hear it from the Oval Office.”

Pelosi also responded, by tweaking Trump’s campaign slogan, saying he “has always been about making America white again.” (The New York Times)

Hot Takes:

  • Trump sent out that tweet on a day when ICE is out conducting the widespread immigration raids he’d long promised.
  • The New York Times said Trump’s tweet “was widely regarded as beyond the pale.”
  • Trump is playing up to his base and further alienating those offended by how he stokes racial divisions.