‘I am disgusted’: New Yorkers react to Trump telling congresswomen to ‘go back’ to their countries
New Yorkers, like much of the country, have some strong opinions about the latest controversy engulfing President Trump.
“I am disgusted at the Republicans,” said Randi, of Manhattan. “I can’t believe no one stands up to him. I thought of myself as independent, and I’m forced into being a Democrat.”
Randi was among the random New Yorkers Yahoo News asked about Trump's incendiary declaration that four progressive congresswomen of color should “go back” to their “broken and crime infested” countries.
The four newly elected congresswomen, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., are all U.S. citizens. All but Omar, who fled Somalia as a child, were born in the U.S.
Trump's comments were widely condemned as racist — including by some Republicans. (“You are angry because you can’t conceive of an America that includes us,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.)
But Trump has repeatedly doubled down. “Let ’em leave. ... They’re always telling us how to run it, how to do this, how to do that,” he said at a Wednesday campaign rally. “You know what? If they don’t love it, tell ’em to leave it.” And his crowd of supporters chanted of Omar: “Send her back!”
New Yorkers who spoke to Yahoo News this week were divided on Trump’s Twitter insults.
While he acknowledged the comments as inappropriate, Chris from Long Island argued that Trump’s words were taken out of context. “I don’t think it was the smartest thing,” he said. “But I don’t think he was racist about it.”
Others called the president a racist for not only his recent comments, but also some of his past actions, which include taking a full-page New York Times ad out about the five black and Latino teens who became known as the “Central Park 5.” In it, Trump called for them to receive the death penalty, and although the group has since been exonerated, he hasn’t backed down.
“I’m just looking at someone’s actions,” said Olivia, of Brooklyn. “It’s not a mystery. He’s been real consistent.”
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