House Dems slap Trump with resolution condemning ‘go back’ tweets against congresswomen of color

House Democrats have rushed to table a resolution condemning Donald Trump for a series of angry tweets against four freshman congresswomen of color, which they said was a “blatant racist attack.”

Sponsored by Tom Malinowski (D-New Jersey), the House’s resolution lambasted Donald Trump’s “racist comments,” which have “legitimized and increased fear and hatred of new Americans.” The document, set for a vote on Tuesday, comes in response to the US president’s recent tirade on Twitter.

The tweets suggested that Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” They were further mocked by those who pointed out that three of the four women were born in the US.

Malinowski is confident that the resolution will pass on a bipartisan basis, given its broad appeal and uncontroversial content. “Even if we may disagree on the details of immigration or border policy, racism is wrong, is un-American. It’s not who we are,” he told the Hill.

However, aside from two outspoken members of Congress, Will Hurd (Texas) and Michael Turner (Ohio), Republicans have been less willing to formally condemn the tweets. Most remained silent on Sunday, when Trump initially posted the attacks, and public responses gradually trickled in on Monday.

Republican Congressman Andy Harris defended Trump, telling WBAL radio: “Clearly it’s not a racist comment. He could have meant go back to the district they came from, the neighborhood they came from.”

Trump himself has dismissed accusations of racism, telling reporters “it doesn’t concern me because many people agree with me” during a White House event on Monday. He also lashed out particularly at Omar, claiming she “hates Israel” and “hates Jews.” Trump suggested that the Somalia native who sought refuge in the US once supported Al-Qaeda, but admitted he doesn’t know her in person.

Nevertheless, some Democrats don’t think Malinowski’s motion is sufficient to punish Trump for his “chaotic commentary.” Rep. Steve Cohen (Tennessee) accused the president of “cross[ing] a red line,” introducing a resolution to formally censure him.

“Congress must censure him for this un-American and un-presidential language,” Cohen said in a statement on Monday. His resolution has nine co-sponsors, including all four of the congresswomen who Trump’s tweets attacked.

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