President Trump doubles down on controversial tweets

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – President Trump is firing back against critics of his weekend tweets aimed at several minority Congresswomen.

He told them to “go back” to the countries they came from and Monday expressed no regrets following widespread criticism on Capitol Hill.

Four minority Democratic Congresswomen are pushing back against President Trump’s remarks many consider racist.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D- MA) said, “This is a disruption and a distraction from the callous chaotic and corrupt culture of this administration.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) stated, “He’s launching a blatantly racist attack on four duly elected members of the United States House of Representatives.”

The united front follows President Trump delivering a controversial message earlier Monday. “If they don’t like it here, they can leave,” he said. “All they do is complain. So all I’m saying is they can leave.”

The double-down follows tweets telling 4 lawmakers to go back to the countries from which they came.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said, “He tells us that I should go back to the great borough  of the Bronx and make it better  and that’s what I’m here to do.”

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is one target along with three other freshmen Democrats—all women of color, all U.S. citizens, three born in America.

The fourth, Minnesota Representative Illhan Omar, born in Somalia, was singled out with Trump tweeting, “She’s somebody talking about how great Al-Qaeda is, pick out her statement, that was Omar, how great Al-Qaeda is.”

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are calling the tweets inappropriate…

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) said, “They’re race-baiting, they’re racist, they’re meant to divide people.”

Several Republican Senators issued statements opposing the attack on fellow lawmakers. “I think they’re American citizens who were duly elected that are running on an agenda that is disgusting,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats, “Our unity is our power.” She’s calling on GOP lawmakers to join them in voting for a resolution condemning the president’s statements.

Large numbers of Republican lawmakers have remained silent on the president’s remarks.

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