US President Donald Trump slammed four US Democratic congresswomen in a tweet on Sunday, claiming that “I don’t believe the four congresswomen are capable of loving our country” and that “they should apologize to America (and Israel) for the horrible... things they have said.”
The tweet is the latest in a string of tweets in which the president mentioned the attitude of Congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley regarding Israel and the Jewish community. He called the lawmakers and their party anti-Israel and antisemitic, in defense of a previous tweet in which he urged them to go back to “where they came from” and “fix these places” and then “come back” and tell Americans how to govern.Both Democrats and Republicans have slammed the tone of the president's initial tweets, and some Jews, including those who share Trump’s opinions of the congresswomen, have asked the president to leave them out of it. Trump pushed back against these statements in a swirl of tweets and press gaggles, as well as at a rally in North Carolina, saying that these congresswomen “hated” Israel and Jews.Omar and Tlaib have both voiced approval of the BDS movement. Omar put forth a new "pro-boycott" resolution in Congress last week that affirms "that all Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad, as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution." The resolution has been widely believed to be a pro-BDS push.In February, Omar drew wide condemnation for a tweet in which she seemed to say that US support for Israel had to do with donations from the pro-Israel lobby, tweeting "It's all about the Benjamins, baby." Many said the tweet drew on antisemitic tropes about Jewish influence and money.Previously, she drew criticism for a 2012 tweet in which she said that Israel had “hypnotized” the world.Josefin Dolsten/JTA contributed to this report.I don’t believe the four Congresswomen are capable of loving our Country. They should apologize to America (and Israel) for the horrible (hateful) things they have said. They are destroying the Democrat Party, but are weak & insecure people who can never destroy our great Nation!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 21, 2019