LYNN — U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass) blasted President Donald Trump’s tweets on Sunday that assailed a group of Democratic congresswomen of color as foreign-born troublemakers who should go back to the broken and crime-infested places from which they came.
“The president is a racist,” Moulton told The Item Monday. “The question is what are we going to do about it? And right now, Congress is not doing enough to hold him accountable.”
While Trump did not name the Democratic congresswomen, it appears he was referring to Reps. Ayanna Pressley from Boston, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib. Only Omar, from Somalia, is foreign-born.
In a series of early morning tweets, the president said, “When will the radical left congresswomen apologize to our country, the people of Israel, and even to the office of the president, for the foul language they have used, and the terrible things they have said … 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 U.S., the greatest and most powerful nation on earth, how our government is to be run.”
Trump’s tweets drew sharp rebukes from Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said the president wants to “make America white again.”
Pressley quickly responded on Twitter saying: “This is what racism looks like. We are what democracy looks like, and we’re not going anywhere. Except back to DC to fight for the families you marginalize and vilify everyday.”
Moulton said Trump’s latest rants are yet another reason the House should be holding impeachment hearings. He said there should be a debate before the American people about what the president has done with Russia, with women and to obstruct justice. There are a wide range of concerning issues, he said.
“Our party leadership, in blocking impeachment, has made their case for why the politics is tough,” he said. “But how about just doing the right thing by the Constitution we swore an oath to protect and defend. The number of members in Congress who want to see impeachment hearings proceed is growing with each passing week.”
He dismissed Pelosi’s suggestion that an impeachment debate will sidetrack Congress and enhance the president’s chances for reelection.
“Side track?” Moulton said. “This is our Constitutional duty, it’s doing our job.”
A White House official declined comment. He referred the call to the president’s re-election committee which could not be reached for comment.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
