Trump Attacks Four Democratic Congresswomen, Claiming That They Hate the U.S. & Should Go Back To Their Countries

Another weekend of the Trump presidency made memorable for all of the wrong reasons. Are we winning yet?

Clearly, Trump lies. Even his political allies acknowledge this much. But his supporters insist that there is truth in some of the things that he says, in his larger overall message. And if we decipher some of these things accurately, we can see what some of those truths are, even though Trump and his supporters would deny it.

One of those things is a very clear, blatantly racist streak.

By now, everyone has heard about what Trump said on Twitter this weekend, directing his comments at four nonwhite Democratic Congresswomen. Trump suggested that the first two Muslim members of Congress sympathized with Al Quaeda, and hated America. He told them that if they are not happy here, in the United States, then they can always leave. Earlier he had tweeted that they can go back to their countries, which he claimed were infested with corrupt leaders. Specifically, he said that they can go back to the “totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”

But their country is the United States, and inadvertently, Trump finally said something that almost everyone can agree with. Indeed, the leadership of “their” country is blatantly corrupt, and inept, as well. Far from stable or enlightened, let alone genius level.           

Here’s the thing: what he is saying is not unique, much less original to him. In fact, it is an old phrase that dates back to at least the Vietnam War, as it was a common response to people who criticized that war, and the country more generally. Yes, the “Love It or Leave It” crowd is back. Or rather, they never really left. But they sure seem to have taken over a lot more power, with the orange creature that they elected to occupy the White House giving them strength and reassurance, making them comfortable in their prejudices.           

Love it or leave it.           

Think about that. How close-minded and narrow that is. It basically says, “My country, right or wrong.”           

But why not right it’s wrongs?           

Why not try and make improvements where we can? Is our country so perfect that it cannot stand improvement?           

Because that takes real patriotism. Agree with me or else? Shut up if you don’t like it, or simply leave? That’s not real patriotism. What is it? Intellectual dishonesty. Moral cowardice. False patriotism. Exclusivity, trying to be a card-carrying superpatriot for all to see, and not being a real patriot. Just going with the flow of these political times. These would be the same kinds of people who would have protested against people who helped slaves escape via the Underground railroad. They are against reparations, but they would surely have demanded that slave-owners who lost their “property” be compensated for lost profits. These are the kinds of people who were opposed to ending legal segregation in the country, and who switched from the Democrats/Dixiecrats, to the Republican party. LBJ predicted as much when he said that signing the Civil Rights bill would cost the Democrats for a generation (he clearly underestimated the longevity of the anger, as it has lasted several generations, apparently). And it can be seen in other ways, such as the “Solid South” switching allegiances from the Democrats to the Republicans. Only recently has it begun to break, but in some respects, it has actually extended to encompass much of the Midwest and the mountain area, as well as Alaska.           

Trump supporters either are actively closeminded and racist, or they empower those who are. Again, I have said this before, but I will say it again: no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Yet, they literally seem incapable of criticizing their man in the White House, and they seem to think that he walks on water. Then, they act shocked – Shocked! – when the rest of the population, which is still solidly in the majority, looks at them as fools. But with Trump’s blatant racism and narcissism, and his clearly divisive tactics, no one can say, with a straight face, that this man is actually trying to unify the country. That is not his forte, and not in his best political interests. No, his interest is to divide, and to attack. Ocasio-Cortez was absolutely right in saying that Trump cannot defend his own polices, and so he goes on personal vendettas and attacks people personally, instead. It should be an easy trick to pick up on and, frankly, to see through, But Trump fans are well-known for having tunnel vision when it comes to their man.           

So much of this is utter nonsense, and so blatantly obvious, that it hardly takes a genius to see through this clown act. That is the reason why Trump supporters are often dismissed as idiotic or stupid. Let’s face it: they believe him when he claims to be a “very stable genius.” That in and of itself is laughable. He might be shrewd in his way, and he is certainly ruthless. But he is no genius, and he has brought nothing resembling stability to his administration, or to the country as a whole. Again, this is so obvious as to hardly be worth mentioning. Yet, tens of millions of loyal Trump supporters manage not to see it or, worse, pretend not to.           

Since they are so divisive, and since they take themselves, and their clown leader so seriously, it feels like fair game to go ahead and laugh, at them and at how ridiculous their man, and their beliefs, are. And let’s face it: it is not all comical, either. There is nothing funny about denying climate change and censoring facts. There is nothing funny about overcrowded detention centers in desert heat, or families being separated. There is nothing funny about starting trade wars and spiking tensions with most countries around the world, including our traditional allies. There is nothing funny about the blatant racism and general xenophobia which this Trump era has helped to bring back into fashion in this country.           

Some Americans mused that they wanted to move to Canada in the event of a Trump presidency. Most people did not actually go through with it, but Trump supporters have harped on this ever since, which is merely an extension not only of the “Love it or leave it” sentiment, but seems, from their viewpoint, to reaffirm their own patriotism, as well as their perception that those who disagree with them “hate” this country.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to Trump's statements, making clear that she feels he goes on personal attacks because he cannot defend his own policies. And she made the easy link between the "love it or leave it" message, and the historic racism that this message is connected to:

It’s important to note that the President’s words yday, telling four American Congresswomen of color “go back to your own country,” is hallmark language of white supremacists. 

Trump feels comfortable leading the GOP into outright racism, and that should concern all Americans. 

231K 8:40 AM - Jul 15, 2019

Ocasio-Cortez called Trump’s words the “hallmark language of white supremacists,” and said, “It is extremely disturbing that the *entire* GOP caucus is silent. Is this their agenda?”

Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, one of the four women who Trump attacked, also responded:

“He’s launching a blatantly racist attack on four duly elected members of the United States House of Representatives, all of whom are women of color.” 

“This is the agenda of white nationalists, whether it is happening in chat rooms, or it is happening on national TV, and now it’s reached the White House garden.”

She went on to add:

 "His 'locker room' talk is now Oval Office talk."

Yup. Sounds about right.

This is the "winning" we were promised?

Here are the links to the articles that I used in writing this particular blog entry:


Trump Doesn't Know How To Defend Policies, Attacks Us Instead  by Lisette Voytko, Forbes Staff Breaking News Reporter, Jul 15, 2019:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2019/07/15/pelosi-will-force-house-vote-condemning-trumps-xenophobic-tweets/#65c32a0b498b



Ocasio-Cortez fires back at Trump, cites sexual assault allegations Devan Cole byline By Devan Cole, CNN  Updated 2:11 AM ET, Wed July 17, 2019:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/16/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-trump-tweet/index.html



Trump Says Four Democratic Congresswomen Hate the U.S. and Are Free to Leave, The New York Times, Washington, By Julie Hirschfeld Davis July 15, 2019:


https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/15/us/politics/trump-go-back-tweet-racism.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&fbclid=IwAR1PXamu9mWLHT-SSavTEB2G-lkcpJ6ZwT4yYPoP4UaqZRXKchuj3_oOoTA