President Donald Trump referred to some Democratic lawmakers as “savages” on Twitter this week, sparking outrage and accusations of bigotry. The Democrats in the House of Representatives opened an official Impeachment Inquiry last week, and the president lashed out online, but many noted his choice of target with his loaded language.
President Trump specifically targeted six members of congress with his inflammatory tweet this week. Two of them were Congressman Jerry Nadler of New York, and Congressman Adam Schiff of California, both of whom are Jewish.
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The others he did not even mention by name, calling them “AOC Plus 3.” This referred to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and three other women of color in congress. Twitter users did not fail to note that he aimed the label of “savages” at these politicians and not others, including House majority leader Nancy Pelosi, who initiated the inquiry.
Can you imagine if these Do Nothing Democrat Savages, people like Nadler, Schiff, AOC Plus 3, and many more, had a Republican Party who would have done to Obama what the Do Nothings are doing to me. Oh well, maybe next time!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 28, 2019
“Can you imagine if these Do Nothing Democrat Savages, people like Nadler, Schiff, AOC Plus 3, and many more, had a Republican Party who would have done to Obama what the Do Nothings are doing to me. Oh well, maybe next time!” the president tweeted.
Twitter users immediately began calling out the post for thinly-veiled bigotry, and not just amateur critics, either. Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke was one of the first to respond, connecting the statement to past quotes from the president as well.
“When he calls 6 members of Congress — all women of color or Jewish — ‘savages,’ he wants you to think of them as less than human,” the Texas lawmaker wrote. “Like when he calls immigrants an ‘infestation’ and says ‘no human being’ would want to live in Baltimore. We can’t be surprised when violence follows.”
When he calls 6 members of Congress—all women of color or Jewish—“savages,” he wants you to think of them as less than human. Like when he calls immigrants an “infestation” and says “no human being” would want to live in Baltimore. We can’t be surprised when violence follows. https://t.co/F0fVi3MmD8
— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 28, 2019
“wow he’s calling two Jews and a Hispanic ‘savages.’ It’s all out in the open now,” added Vanity Fair reporter Gabriel Sherman.
“See how he does that? More than 200 House Democrats support impeachment, but the ones he singles out as ‘Savages’ are two Jews and four women of color,” noted Dana Milbank of the Washington Post.
The president did not respond to this outrage directly, but did follow up his tweet with three rapid-fire slogans, reading: “PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!” “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” and “KEEP AMERICA GREAT!”
In spite of the newly instigated impeachment proceedings, the president’s opponents are still far from removing him from office. In the meantime, the field is heating up for the 2020 presidential election, with the field of Democratic contenders narrowing to a few.
