Love them or hate them, no one will doubt the tenacity of “The Squad.” The four Democratic congresswomen who make up the squad have emerged as some of the most vocal and high-profile Democrats in Congress. And in recent days, they have found themselves locked in a prominent, heated battle with President Donald Trump.
While the Squad has made several tweets and other statements in recent days, pushing back against President Trump’s remarks, they upped the ante today by holding a joint press conference. Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib claimed that Trump’s comments were “a continuation of his racist and xenophobic playbook.” Tlaib also blasted Trump over conditions at migrant centers on the southern border. Trump responded via Twitter, claiming that poor conditions are the result of the previous administration.
Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley went after Trump’s personal character, arguing “He [Trump] does not embody the grace, the empathy, the compassion, the integrity that that office requires and that the American people deserve.” Pressley also pressed home the point that “we will not be silenced.”
Responding to Trump’s suggestion that they leave the country, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) stated “we don’t leave the things we love. We love all people in this country.” While Trump urged the Squad to go back to their home countries, AOC, Pressley, and Tlaib are all native-born.
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar was born in Somalia but has since become a naturalized citizen, like millions of other Americans. Regarding Trump’s comments, Omar claimed “this is the agenda of white nationalists, whether it is happening in chat rooms or happening on national TV. And now it’s reached the White House garden.”
Of course, President Trump has fired back his own response on Twitter:
….They are anti-Israel, pro Al-Qaeda, and comment on the 9/11 attack, “some people did something.” Radical Left Democrats want Open Borders, which means drugs, crime, human trafficking, and much more….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 15, 2019