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| Trump under fire for racially-charged tweets against congresswomen | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| US President Donald Trump has been accused of racism after posting tweets attacking Democratic congresswomen. | |
| He claimed the women "originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe", before suggesting they "go back". | He claimed the women "originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe", before suggesting they "go back". |
| He then said Speaker "Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements". | He then said Speaker "Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements". |
| It comes a week after Ms Pelosi clashed with "the squad", a group of four left-wing Democrat women of colour. | It comes a week after Ms Pelosi clashed with "the squad", a group of four left-wing Democrat women of colour. |
| Of the four congresswomen, three - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley - were born and raised in the US, while the fourth, Ilhan Omar, moved to the US as a child. | Of the four congresswomen, three - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley - were born and raised in the US, while the fourth, Ilhan Omar, moved to the US as a child. |
| Ms Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx in New York, approximately 12 miles away from the Queens hospital where Mr Trump himself was born. | Ms Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx in New York, approximately 12 miles away from the Queens hospital where Mr Trump himself was born. |
| What did the president say? | What did the president say? |
| In a three-tweet thread, Mr Trump accused the congresswomen of "viciously" criticising him and the US. | In a three-tweet thread, Mr Trump accused the congresswomen of "viciously" criticising him and the US. |
| He wrote: "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 (if they even have a functioning government at all), now 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. | He wrote: "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 (if they even have a functioning government at all), now 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. |
| "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. | "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. |
| "These places need your help badly, you can't leave fast enough. I'm sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!" | "These places need your help badly, you can't leave fast enough. I'm sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!" |
| He did not explicitly name the congresswomen he was talking about. | He did not explicitly name the congresswomen he was talking about. |
| However, from the reference to Ms Pelosi it has widely been assumed he was referring to Ms Ocasio-Cortez, Ms Tlaib, Ms Pressley and Ms Omar. | However, from the reference to Ms Pelosi it has widely been assumed he was referring to Ms Ocasio-Cortez, Ms Tlaib, Ms Pressley and Ms Omar. |
| What has the response been? | What has the response been? |
| Ms Pelosi, Speaker of the House, quoted Mr Trump's tweets and described them as "xenophobic". | Ms Pelosi, Speaker of the House, quoted Mr Trump's tweets and described them as "xenophobic". |
| "When @realDonaldTrump tells four American congresswomen to go back to their countries, he reaffirms his plan to 'Make America Great Again' has always been about making America white again," she said. | "When @realDonaldTrump tells four American congresswomen to go back to their countries, he reaffirms his plan to 'Make America Great Again' has always been about making America white again," she said. |
| "Our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power," she added. | "Our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power," she added. |
| Ms Tlaib, congresswoman for Michigan's 13th district, tweeted calling for Mr Trump's impeachment. | Ms Tlaib, congresswoman for Michigan's 13th district, tweeted calling for Mr Trump's impeachment. |
| "Want a response to a lawless and complete failure of a president? He is the crisis. His dangerous ideology is the crisis. He needs to be impeached," she wrote. | "Want a response to a lawless and complete failure of a president? He is the crisis. His dangerous ideology is the crisis. He needs to be impeached," she wrote. |
| Ms Omar, Ms Ocasio-Cortez and Ms Pressley have yet to respond publicly, but criticism has been flooding the social network. | Ms Omar, Ms Ocasio-Cortez and Ms Pressley have yet to respond publicly, but criticism has been flooding the social network. |
| White House reporter Brian J Karem tweeted at the president: "Good morning, racist much?" while Texas congressman Joaquin Castro wrote: "They're Americans. You're a bigot." | White House reporter Brian J Karem tweeted at the president: "Good morning, racist much?" while Texas congressman Joaquin Castro wrote: "They're Americans. You're a bigot." |
| US political commentator Josh Rogin said: "This is a new, terrible, racist, sad low, even for Trump." | US political commentator Josh Rogin said: "This is a new, terrible, racist, sad low, even for Trump." |
| Bernie Sanders, one of the frontrunners for the Democratic presidential nomination, also accused Mr Trump of racism. | Bernie Sanders, one of the frontrunners for the Democratic presidential nomination, also accused Mr Trump of racism. |
| Mr Trump has not responded to the criticism. | Mr Trump has not responded to the criticism. |
| However he has since tweeted about migrants being held at US border detention centres, saying: "Sorry, can't let them into our country." | However he has since tweeted about migrants being held at US border detention centres, saying: "Sorry, can't let them into our country." |