The four freshman congresswomen known as "The Squad" — Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts — held a news conference on Monday, responding to President Trump's racist comments.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, responding to the women's political stances, the president instructed the representatives to "go back" and "fix" the countries they came from. He said this despite the majority of the congresswomen being American-born citizens, or citizens nonetheless — Ocasio-Cortez was born in Bronx, New York, Ilhan Omar became a Unites States citizen in 2000, Rashida Tlaib was born in Detroit, Michigan, and Ayanna Pressley was born in Cincinnati, according to BBC.
"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.
Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it is done. These places need your help badly, you can’t leave fast enough. I’m sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements," Trump tweeted.
….it is done. These places need your help badly, you can’t leave fast enough. I’m sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2019
Following the tweets, the four women came together to say America was a country for everyone, and shared concerns Trump was trying to change that.
"When I was a little girl, my father took me to the reflecting pool [in Washington, D.C.]. He had me look at the Washington Monument, at the Capitol, [and] had me look at the entirety of the capital of our great country. He pointed to all of it and said, ‘This belongs to all of us. This belongs to you, and it belongs to me," Ocasio-Cortez said at Monday's news conference.
What I want to tell children across the country is no matter what the president says, this country belongs to you, and it belongs to everyone,” Ocasio-Cortez continued.
With the discussion escalating on both sides of the aisle Massachusetts representative Ayanna Pressley called on the American people to become members of the squad themselves.
"Our squad is big," Pressley said. "Our squad includes any person committed to building a more equitable and just world."
Trump's tweets made more apparent the division between the Republican and Democratic Party — Dems were more vocal in denouncing Trump's statements, and there was a noticeable silence from the Republicans. Those Republicans who were questioned appeared hesitant to answer questions on the matter.
"I certainly feel a number of these new members of Congress have views not consistent with my experience and not consistent with building a strong America," Romney said to a journalist. "At the same time, I recognize the president has a unique and noble calling to unite all Americans, regardless of our creeds or race or place of our national origin; and I think in that case, the president fell far short."
When specifically asked if the tweets were racist, Romney simply responded saying, "That's all I got folks."
Though, The Squad is not alone. Many presidential candidates have also come to their defense, including former Vice President Joe Biden. Biden claimed America had never had a more racist president.
"There has never been a President in American history who has been so openly racist and divisive as this man," Biden said to The Hill.
Biden recently called The Squad a group of "smart" women.