JULY 18, 2019
Michelle Obama and President Donald Trump. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP, Leah Mills/Reuters)
Former first lady Michelle Obama countered President Trump’s attacks on four Democratic congresswomen of color by emphasizing the importance of America’s diversity.
“What truly makes our country great is its diversity,” wrote Obama in a tweet Friday afternoon. “I’ve seen that beauty in so many ways over the years. Whether we are born here or seek refuge here, there’s a place for us all. We must remember it’s not my America or your America. It’s our America.”
Trump has spent the week attacking Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a Somali refugee who became a U.S. citizen at age 17. He initially urged Omar — along with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib — to “go back” to their “broken and crime infested” countries. The tweets earned a condemnation from the House but it didn’t stop the attacks, as Trump supporters chanted “Send her back!” at a rally Wednesday night when the president began criticizing Omar.
After pushback from both sides of the aisle, Trump said Thursday that he disagreed with the chant, telling reporters he tried to cut it off, despite allowing a 13-second pause for it to gain momentum. And on Friday morning, Trump fumed over the coverage of the support Omar received Thursday evening upon her return to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. By the afternoon, he had reversed himself again, heaping praise on his North Carolina crowd.
“Those are incredible people,” said Trump of the rally attendees. “Those are incredible patriots. But I’m unhappy when a congresswoman goes and says, ‘I’m going to be the president’s nightmare.’ She’s going to be the president’s nightmare. She’s lucky to be where she is. Let me tell you. And the things that she has said are a disgrace to our country. Thank you very much.”
On Thursday, Obama was named the world’s most admired woman in a YouGov survey, topping Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie. She was also rated the most admired woman in America, beating out Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and current first lady Melania Trump.
Courtesy/Source: Yahoo News
