President Donald Trump targeted four U.S. House members on Sunday in what can be classified as a racist tweet, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
"Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it is done," Trump tweeted. He followed this on Monday with more attacks, tweeting about "a bunch of Communists," adding that "they are Anti-Semitic, they are Anti-America..."
The four House Democrats who were urged to "'go back' to countries they came from are U.S. citizens," the Times wrote. While Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was born in Somalia, she came to this country with her parents when she was 8 years old, becoming a U.S. citizen at 17. (Her parents were fleeing Somalia's civil war.) The other three House members were born in this country: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-D) "born in the Bronx to parents of Puerto Rican descent. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-D), who is black, was born in Cincinnati. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-D) was born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrants," the op/ed continues.
While these four representatives have caused divides within the Democratic part, which the Times mentions necessitating a reminder that defeating Trump, as well as continuing Democratic control of the House, might call for a more centrist appeal.
"Yet none of this excuses Trump’s racist attacks or the silence from most Republicans in response," the article continues.
To read the Tampa Bay Times Op-Ed in its entirety, go to http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/trumps-racist-rant-requires-a-collective-response-editorial-20190715/.
