In one of the most disturbing moments of his presidency, Donald Trump stood before a huge crowd in Greenville, N.C. as his supporters chanted “send her back” in reference to Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). I have previously discussed Trump’s disgraceful comments regarding Omar and three other freshman members of Congress. While many of us condemned those statements, Trump’s popularity has actually risen with Republicans in the aftermath. Even Trump’s past association with Jeffrey Epstein have not had an impact. NBC just released the video below showing Trump partying with Epstein. Update: Trump says that he didn’t not agree with the chant.
At the rally, Trump declared:
We have the enthusiasm. Look at this. And by the way, thousands and thousands of people outside and people that couldn’t get in. Thousands. We’ve got all the enthusiasm, they’re fighting each other. They’ve gone so far left nobody wants to even think about it. So Representative Omar blamed the United States for the terrorist attacks on our country, saying that terrorism is a reaction to our involvement in other people’s affairs.
She smeared U.S. service members involved in Blackhawk Down. In other words, she slandered the brave Americans who were trying to keep peace in Somalia. Omar minimized the September 11th attacks on our homeland, saying some people did something. I don’t think so. Some people did something. Yeah. Some people did something alright.
She pleaded for compassion for ISIS recruits attempting to join the terrorist organization. Omar laughed that Americans speak of al-Qaida in a menacing tone and remarked that you don’t say ‘America’ with this intensity. You say ‘al-Qaida’ makes you proud. Al-Qaida makes you proud! You don’t speak that way about America.
The responsive chant “send her back” is as chilling as it is xenophobic. One GOP member said the chant “would send chills down the spines of the Founding Fathers.” Omar is a U.S. citizen who is “home.” She has succeeded in coming to his country as a child and became a member of Congress. That is precisely what this country is meant to stand for. She is trying to make this country a better place. I disagree with many of her views and well as her comments. However, that is part of a debate that can occur between citizens. For the President to stand before thousands screaming “send her home” is a terrible stain on the office of the president.
It is remarkable to see the teflon coating on Trump’s poll numbers. NBC just released a video showing Trump laughing and partying with Epstein.
The November 1992 tape shows Donald Trump partying with Epstein at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. It was more than a decade before Epstein pleaded guilty to felony prostitution charges in Florida.