Michelle Obama refutes Donald Trump

Donald Trump is trying to have it both ways.    He encourages his rally crowds to be crass, raucous, and violent.   But then when he gets criticized even by some Republicans for his attacks on the four congresswomen of color, he then half-heartedly lies and says he was unhappy with the crowd's chanting:  "Send her back!"

Then the next day, he was sort of taking back his regret, praising his rally crowd as terrific people, "greatest patriots," etc.

Then Michelle Obama stepped in to defend Reps. Omar, Tlaib, Pressley, and Ocasio-Cortez.    Here's a description of this from Christopher Wilson of Yahoo News:

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"Former first lady Michelle Obama countered President Trump’s attacks on four Democratic congresswomen of color by emphasizing the importance of America’s diversity.

“'What truly makes our country great is its diversity,' wrote Obama in a tweet Friday afternoon. 'I’ve seen that beauty in so many ways over the years. Whether we are born here or seek refuge here, there’s a place for us all. We must remember it’s not my America or your America. It’s our America.'

"Trump has spent the week attacking Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a Somali refugee who became a U.S. citizen at age 17. He initially urged Omar — along with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib — to 'go back' to their 'broken and crime infested' countries. The tweets earned a condemnation from the House but it didn’t stop the attacks, as Trump supporters chanted 'Send her back!' at a rally Wednesday night when the president began criticizing Omar.

"After pushback from both sides of the aisle, Trump said Thursday that he disagreed with the chant, telling reporters he tried to cut it off, despite allowing a 13-second pause for it to gain momentum. And on Friday morning, Trump fumed over the coverage of the support Omar received Thursday evening upon her return to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. By the afternoon, he had reversed himself again, heaping praise on his North Carolina crowd.

"'Those are incredible people,' said Trump of the rally attendees. 'Those are incredible patriots. But I’m unhappy when a congresswoman goes and says, ‘I’m going to be the president’s nightmare.’ She's going to be the president’s nightmare. She's lucky to be where she is. Let me tell you. And the things that she has said are a disgrace to our country. Thank you very much.'

"On Thursday, Obama was named the world’s most admired woman in a YouGov survey, topping Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie. She was also rated the most admired woman in America, beating out Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and current first lady Melania Trump."

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House votes to condemn Trump's language as racist

The House of Representatives took the formal step of condemning as racist the language in President Trump's tweets telling duly elected citizens -- all women of color -- that, if they did not like the United States, "go back to where you came from."

They responded, pointing out that this is their country too and that they are working to make it better.   Trump doubled down, keeping the fight going -- which he obviously relishes.   On top of that, he seems to think it's a good political strategy to keep his base energized.

First of all, it's an ignorant statement from Trump.    The four women he seems focused on -- all freshmen representatives of color -- are all duly elected, U.S. citizens, three of whom were actually born in the U.S.   The fourth, Rep. Ilhan was brought here from Somalia by her parents when she was 12, and she has since become a naturalized citizen.

Second, Trump can proclaim, as loudly and as long as he wants that "I don't have a racist bone in  my body."    Perhaps he justifies this by pointing to black celebrities that he has entertained at his clubs.    One might note, however, that for the most part, it is black men, not women that Trump entertains.

The rebuke from the House was carefully worded.    It condemns his language as racist;  it does not claim that he is racist -- although many believe he is.   Or at least he is willing, even eager, to use racist memes for political purposes.   Remember his first big foray into presidential politics was as the leading "birther," claiming that Barack Obama was not born in the U.S.  and therefore was not eligible to run for president.

Then there is his support for white supremacists, as in Charlottesville;   his fixation on calling for the death penalty for the Central Park Five -- even after they had been exonerated and another man had been convicted.   The five black boys he insisted were guilty were all black.  Then there are his policies that disproportionately affect people of color.   His whole presidential campaign began with falsely blaming and demonizing immigrants coming to our southern border -- almost all people of color.

If Trump doesn't have a racist bone in his body, then it can only be worse -- he is betraying even his own beliefs when he acts like a racist, appeals to racists, and enacts policies that disproportionately affect people of color.  Or else it is that he has no beliefs at all and simple uses race transactionally for advantage.

What are we to make of his comments about wanting immigrants to be from places like Norway insteac of "sh-t  h-le" countries from the South and from Africa?

The House vote came only after a very acrimonious debate on the floor.  In the end, four Republicans and the ex-Republican Justin Amash voted with the Democrats.

It's going to get uglier as we approach the election.   Trump's only hope of staying out of jail is to stay in the Oval Office;   and this is what he thinks will keep his base energized.   The question is how many of those who voted for Trump but don't like him will do so again?    And how many voters will he lose because of this vile racism?

And then there's the whole question, which journalists are debating too:   how much are we aiding and abetting Trump by keeping the news cycle going -- or even just taking his bait and reacting to it?

Ralph

Pelosi: "Trump wants to Make America White Again"

Politico reports that President Trump's Sunday tweets includes one attacking "progressive Democratic congresswomen" in which he asks "Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came."

While he didn't mention them by name, he seemingly was referring to his frequent critics, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), originally from Somalia;  Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)) whose family is Palestinian, along with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)."

All four of these women, newly elected to the House, are of course U.S. citizens;  and except for Rep. Omar, all were born in the U.S.    Omar is a naturalized citizen who was brought here from her native Somalia by her family as a child.

Trump's quote goes on:
"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.

Politico supplies the information that, contrary to Trump' typical misinformation, Tlaib was born in the United States;   and Omar, whose family fled war-torn Somalia when she was a child, is a U.S. citizen.

Not only are all of them U.S. citizens;  they are members of congress, duly elected by their districts to represent them in Washington -- and try to make our government function better.

But no matter to Trump.   He looks at them and sees, not only critics, but women critics -- and, worse, women of color criticizing him.

News Flash, Mr. President:    You are the one who is at odds with the values and the principles of our democratic nation.    Why don't you leave?

Ralph

PS:   Rebukes for the president came swiftly from Democrats:

Sen. Bernie Sanders:   "When I call the president a racist, this is what I'm talking about."

Nancy Pelosi said the president's comments about these American Congresswomen "reaffirms his plan to 'Make America Great Again" has always been about making America white again."

Rep. Tlaib:  "I am fighting corruption in OUR country.  I do it every day when I hold your admin accountable. . . . Keep talking, you'll be out of the WH soon."

Rep. Omar:  "As Members of Congress, the only country we swear an oath to is the United States.   Which is why we are fighting to protect it from the worst, most corrupt and inept president we have ever seen."

Rep. Pramila Jaypal, herself also a naturalized immigrant-citizen:  "Your cruelty is sickening.  Your egotism is laughable.   And you are going to successfully turn millions of American into supporters of your opponent. . . You are a disgrace to our country and our values."