Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell responded Tuesday to President Donald Trump’s tweets against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and three other freshman congresswomen, saying both parties need to watch their rhetoric.
“From the President to the Speaker to freshmen members of the House, all of us have a responsibility to elevate the public discourse. Our words do matter,” McConnell said at a press conference in the Capitol. “We all know politics is a contact sport, but it’s about time we lowered the temperature all across the board.”
This comes as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced Monday that House Democrats are drafting a resolution to condemn Trump’s tweets directed at the freshman congresswomen. However, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy defended Trump’s comments, saying they were not racist.
President Donald Trump leads a cabinet meeting at the White House July 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Trump defended himself Sunday night as Democrats and others have continued to accuse him of racism after he tweeted that freshman Democratic Reps. Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ayanna S. Pressley of Massachusetts, and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota should “go back” and fix the countries “they originally came from.” (RELATED: President Trump Punches Back On Racism Charges After ‘Go Back’ Tweet)
“So sad to see the Democrats sticking up for people who speak so badly of our Country and who, in addition, hate Israel with a true and unbridled passion,” Trump tweeted. “Whenever confronted, they call their adversaries, including Nancy Pelosi, ‘RACIST.’ Their disgusting language and the many terrible things they say about the United States must not be allowed to go unchallenged. If the Democrat Party wants to continue to condone such disgraceful behavior, then we look even more forward to seeing you at the ballot box in 2020!”
Trump’s tweets have caused major pushback from many, including some of those on both sides of the aisle.