The US House of Representatives yesterday voted to condemn President Donald Trump’s racist attack on four Congress members – Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar, reports Al Jazeera.
This symbolic vote was mainly split along party lines, passing by a vote of 240-187 with only four Republicans joining all Democrats and one Independent in favour. The resolution “strongly condemns President Donald Trump’s racist comments that have legitimised and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of colour.”
On Sunday, Trump launched a racist, pro-Israel rant on Twitter, telling the progressive Congresswomen to “go back” to where they “came from”. He then used his support for Israel to defend his initial comments: “So sad to see the Democrats sticking up for people who speak so badly of our Country and who, in addition, hate Israel with a true and unbridled passion.”
Later on, he reiterated his racist tweets, justifying his attack by claiming the Congresswomen “made Israel feel abandoned by the US.”
Many noted the way Trump used the narrative of white supremacists and racists to defend Israel.
His attacks were criticised widely, with UK Prime Minister Theresa May calling his language “absolutely unacceptable” and US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi calling the tweets “disgraceful and disgusting”.
Trump yesterday addressed criticism in another tweet, doubling down on his original comments: “Those Tweets were NOT Racist. I don’t have a Racist bone in my body… 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. Get a list of the HORRIBLE things they have said… See you in 2020!”
Democrat Ocasio-Cortez responded to Trump on Twitter: “You’re right, Mr President – you don’t have a racist bone in your body. You have a racist mind in your head and a racist heart in your chest.”
Since the vote, a Democratic Congress member has introduced articles of impeachment against Trump, potentially forcing a vote this week on whether to remove the president from office.
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