Asked by reporters about the eruption earlier this month when Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib were first welcomed and then told they could not travel to Israel, the president slammed the women for their recent suggestion to cut aid to Israel. "We give Israel more than $3 billion in aid every year," Omar said Monday. "This is predicated on their being an important ally in the region and the only democracy in the Middle East, but denying visits to duly elected members of Congress is not consistent with being an ally. And denying millions of people freedom of movement or expression or self-determination is not consistent with being a democracy.”Trump responded by saying that he "would not cut off to Israel, and I can't even believe we are having this conversation."Five years ago, the concept of even talking about cutting off aid to Israel because of two people who hate Israel and hate Jewish people - I can't believe we are having this conversation. Where has the Democratic party gone? Where have they gone where they are defending these two people over the state of Israel? "I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat -- I think it shows either total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty."
Nearly 80% of American Jews voted for Democrats in 2018. Donald Trump's dogwhistles, emboldening of hate groups, and use of anti-Semitism for political purposes have made us all less safe. pic.twitter.com/HUxcEpJBIE
— ✡ Jewish Dems (@USJewishDems) August 20, 2019
He spoke about the joint press conference of the two congresswomen and added: "You should see the horrible things that Tlaib said on Israel over the last couple of years. Omar is a disaster for Jewish people. I can't imagine if she has Jewish people in her district that they could possibly vote for her."He mocked Tlaib for breaking down in tears over her cancelled Israel visit and said he doesn't think the crying was authentic. Rather, he said, Tlaib is "violent, vicious and out of control.
"She can see her grandmother, they gave her permission, and she grandstanded, and she didn't want to do it," said the president. "It's a decision of Israel. A lot of people saying it was my decision [but] that's a decision of Israel."
Trump said that Omar and Tlaib's itinerary would look like a "propaganda tour" against Israel.