SUPPORTERS OF DONALD Trump chanted “send her back” at a rally yesterday in a reference to congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a frequent target of the US president in recent days and weeks. 

During a heated rally in Greenville, North Carolina, Trump took aim once more at Democratic lawmakers who “hate” America.

Trump listed the names of the congresswomen - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley - whom he has urged to “go back” to their countries of origin in a series of widely-criticised tweets.

“These left-wing ideologues see our nation as a force of evil,” said Trump – whose tweets were condemned as “racist” a day earlier by the House of Representatives. 

“Send her back!” the crowd chanted when Trump mentioned Omar, who was born outside the US. 

“The way they speak so badly of our country,” Trump told his supporters.  

“They want to demolish our constitution. Eliminate the values that built this magnificent country,” he said. 

Attacking all four congresswomen, Trump’s sharpest criticism was aimed at Ocasio-Cortez, the New York lawmaker who has likened migrant detention centres at the Mexican border to concentration camps.

“I don’t have time to go with three different names. We will call her Cortez,” he said.

Trump’s attacks have widely been seen as a bid to rally his right-wing base as the 2020 White House race heats up. 

Trump told reporters he was “enjoying” his battle with the congresswomen “because I have to get the message out to the American people”.

Democratic leaders have rallied around their colleagues. All four congresswomen are American citizens and all except Omar, who is of Somali origin, were born in the United States.

Impeachment

Yesterday, many in the party joined Republicans in the House of Representatives in voting to block an attempt to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump. 

“We have just received an overwhelming vote against impeachment,” Trump told reporters, calling it a “most ridiculous project”.

“And that’s the end of it. Let the Democrats now go back to work,” Trump said.

Trump’s attacks on the congresswomen,  including taunts such as “if you hate our country, or if you are not happy here, you can leave”, has lasted for several days. 

Just four Republicans voted with the 235 Democrats on Tuesday to condemn Trump for “racist comments that have legitimized and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of color”. 

Pelosi stood by the resolution condemning Trump’s language. “By its definition, those words are racism,” she said.

But she told reporters she would rather see ongoing investigations of Trump play out before launching any divisive impeachment effort.

Trump also focused on his victory over Hillary Clinton during the rally and told his supporters: “We have to do it again.” 

The crowd chanted back: “Four more years!”

- © AFP 2019