Everything to Know About Donald Trump, Ilhan Omar, and the "Send Her Back" Chant
In just the last 24 hours, there's been a flurry of news having to do with President Donald Trump, Representative Ilhan Omar, and the words "send her back."
At a rally held by the president on Wednesday night in Greenville, North Carolina, Trump renewed his attacks on four progressive congresswomen, including Omar, while the crown chanted "Send her back!" about Omar.
Here's what you need to know about the rally, Omar's response, and Trump's history of attacks on the four Democratic representatives known as the "Squad."
How the Chants Started:
According to CNN, Trump spent part of his 90-minute 2020 campaign rally attacking Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who he referred to as "Cortez," because "I don't have time to go with three different names."
“These congresswomen are helping the rise of a militant, hard left. They never have anything good to say, which is why I say, ‘If they don’t like it, let them leave.’” Trump said. “They don’t love our country, and in some cases I think they hate our country.”
The crowd, according to the Washington Post, responded by chanting “Leave!”
Trump then began speaking of Omar, who was born in Somalia but came to the US as a refugee in 2000 and became an American citizen when she was 17 — at which point, rallygoers began chanting "Send her back!"
How Ilhan Omar Responded:
Omar retweeted a tweet about the rally on Wednesday night, quoting poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
-Maya Angelou https://t.co/46jcXSXF0B— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 18, 2019
👋🏽 I am where I belong, at the people’s house and you’re just gonna have to deal! pic.twitter.com/W0OvDXGxQX
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 18, 2019
How Trump Responded:
“I was not happy with it — I disagree with it,” he told reporters of the rally response. When asked why didn’t he stop the “send her back” chant, he said, “I think I did. I started speaking very quickly.”
JUST IN: "I was not happy with it. I disagree with it," Pres. Trump says of “send her back” chant from crowd at his campaign rally last night.
He asserts he tried to stop the chant by "very quickly" speaking again as the chant broke out, despite a long pause during the chant. pic.twitter.com/NpN5QlB6Nn— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 18, 2019
However, in a video from the event, Trump can be seen letting go of the lectern once the chant starts, looking to his left, back to his right, back to his left, pausing for 13 seconds, and continuing after the chant had died down.
On Friday morning, he doubled down on his attacks on Omar in a series of tweets, calling her "Foul Mouther Omar" and hit back at how "crazed" the media became over the chants.
....Mainstream Media, which has lost all credibility, has either officially or unofficially become a part of the Radical Left Democrat Party. It is a sick partnership, so pathetic to watch! They even covered a tiny staged crowd as they greeted Foul Mouthed Omar in Minnesota, a...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2019
....State which I will win in #2020 because they can’t stand her and her hatred of our Country, and they appreciate all that I have done for them (opening up mining and MUCH more) which has led to the best employment & economic year in Minnesota’s long and beautiful history!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2019
Trump's History with the "Squad":
It's not the first time Trump has attacked the four Democratic congresswomen known as the "Squad." Last weekend, he called out the women — all of whom are women of color — in a series of tweets, writing, "Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came."
Three of the women were born in the U.S. — Ocasio-Cortez was born in New York City, Tlaib was born in Detroit, and Pressley was born in Cincinnati, raised in Chicago, and now lives in and represents Boston. Omar is the first Somali-American member of Congress, and she and Tlaib are the first two Muslim women ever elected to Congress. Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, and Pressley is the first Black woman to represent Massachusetts.
While Trump did not refer to them by name, the freshman congresswomen have been known for taking on the Washington establishment since they took office earlier this year.
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......
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2019
....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....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2019
....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 his tweets, the representatives held a press conference addressing Trump's comments.
"I want to tell children across this country that no matter what the President says, this country belongs to you," said Ocasio-Cortez. "And it belongs to everyone and today that notion, that very notion was challenged."
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"Our squad is big," Pressley said. "Our squad includes any person committed to building a more equitable and just world, and that is the work that we want to get back to and given the size of this squad and this great nation, we cannot, we will not be silenced."
How the Public Has Responded:
Whether it's "send her back" or "lock her up," "there has to be some form of punishment" or "grab her by the p***y"—the throughline is contempt for women and anyone who threatens this president's fragile ego.
He should be afraid. We are his worst nightmare. And we will beat him.— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) July 18, 2019
#IStandWithIlhan against attacks from this racist president, and we should all remember this definition of patriotism. https://t.co/PzFT1bNfF2
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) July 18, 2019
On Thursday night, Omar touched down in Minnesota and was received with chants of "welcome home Ilhan" at the airport.
It’s good to be home ❤️ https://t.co/2jV2rIPoE0
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) July 18, 2019
UPDATED: This story has been updated from a previous version on 7/19/2019.