Theresa May has condemned Donald Trump’s attack on female Democrat congresswomen, calling the US president’s remarks “completely unacceptable”.
Mr Trump prompted fury and accusations of racism after suggesting that the unnamed politicians should “go back” to the “broken and crime infested places from which they came”.
He did not specify who he was referring to, but the attack was widely interpreted as being aimed at congresswomen of colour including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley, who have all been critical of Mr Trump’s immigration policies in recent days.
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Asked about Ms May’s views on the comments, her official spokesperson said: “The prime minister’s view is that the language used to refer to these women was completely unacceptable.”
The response is Ms May’s strongest criticism of the Republican to date. She previously condemned his comments in the wake of the Charlottesville protests, and for retweeting far-right group Britain First, but has never before used such frank language.
Shape Created with Sketch. Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam Show all 30 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Trump 2020 launch: Fascist Proud Boys, baby blimps and Uncle Sam 1/30 Members of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, jeer at anti-Trump protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 2/30 A supporter dressed as Uncle Sam poses at Uncle Sam Reuters 3/30 A baby blimp rears its head amidst a group of anti-Trump protesters outside the president't campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 4/30 President Trump addresses supporters at the launch event of his 2020 election campaign in Orlando, Florida Reuters 5/30 Proud Boys have adopted Fred Perry polo shirts as their uniform and many members have the name of the group tattooed on their arms Getty 6/30 A line of police officers separate opposing groups of protesters outside the launch of President Trump's 2020 campaign launch Getty 7/30 A protester hits a Trump punching bag during a protest outside Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 8/30 Twin Trump supporters pose for a photo at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 9/30 A protester dressed as a caricature of Donald Trump stands outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 10/30 A Trump supporter faces off against a protester outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 11/30 A Proud Boy shouts across the police line at anti-Trump protesters outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 12/30 A Trump supporter poses for a photo at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 13/30 A Proud Boy jeers at anti-Trump protesters who are separated from the president's supporters by a police line outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 14/30 A man dressed as Uncle Sam poses at President Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 15/30 An anti-Trump protester faces off against a supporter outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 16/30 Members of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, jeer at anti-Trump protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch Getty 17/30 A child holds a 2020 US "dollar bill" that features Donald Trump's face at the president's 2020 campaign launch EPA 18/30 Anti-Trump protesters rally outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 19/30 Anti-Trump protesters rally outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 20/30 Numerous baby Trump balloons are raised in protests outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 21/30 A supporter wears a T-shirt depicting Trump as a hero at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 22/30 President Trump addresses supporters at the launch event of his 2020 election campaign in the Amway Centre in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 23/30 An anti-Trump protester calls for the president to be impeached outside the launch event for his 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 24/30 Supporters of Donald Trump face off against protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 25/30 A baby blimp rises behind a group of anti-Trump protesters outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 26/30 A supporter dressed as Uncle Sam poses at President Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 27/30 A member of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, holds a sign up outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 28/30 A supporter bears a Trump flag at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 29/30 Protesters hold baby Trump balloons in the rally outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 30/30 An anti-Trump protester holds a sign accusing the president of being a traitor Getty 1/30 Members of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, jeer at anti-Trump protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 2/30 A supporter dressed as Uncle Sam poses at Uncle Sam Reuters 3/30 A baby blimp rears its head amidst a group of anti-Trump protesters outside the president't campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 4/30 President Trump addresses supporters at the launch event of his 2020 election campaign in Orlando, Florida Reuters 5/30 Proud Boys have adopted Fred Perry polo shirts as their uniform and many members have the name of the group tattooed on their arms Getty 6/30 A line of police officers separate opposing groups of protesters outside the launch of President Trump's 2020 campaign launch Getty 7/30 A protester hits a Trump punching bag during a protest outside Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 8/30 Twin Trump supporters pose for a photo at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 9/30 A protester dressed as a caricature of Donald Trump stands outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 10/30 A Trump supporter faces off against a protester outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 11/30 A Proud Boy shouts across the police line at anti-Trump protesters outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 12/30 A Trump supporter poses for a photo at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 13/30 A Proud Boy jeers at anti-Trump protesters who are separated from the president's supporters by a police line outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 14/30 A man dressed as Uncle Sam poses at President Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 15/30 An anti-Trump protester faces off against a supporter outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 16/30 Members of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, jeer at anti-Trump protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch Getty 17/30 A child holds a 2020 US "dollar bill" that features Donald Trump's face at the president's 2020 campaign launch EPA 18/30 Anti-Trump protesters rally outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 19/30 Anti-Trump protesters rally outside the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 20/30 Numerous baby Trump balloons are raised in protests outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 21/30 A supporter wears a T-shirt depicting Trump as a hero at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 22/30 President Trump addresses supporters at the launch event of his 2020 election campaign in the Amway Centre in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 23/30 An anti-Trump protester calls for the president to be impeached outside the launch event for his 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 24/30 Supporters of Donald Trump face off against protesters outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 25/30 A baby blimp rises behind a group of anti-Trump protesters outside the president's campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 26/30 A supporter dressed as Uncle Sam poses at President Trump's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AP 27/30 A member of the Proud Boys, a fascist group, holds a sign up outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida AFP/Getty 28/30 A supporter bears a Trump flag at the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Reuters 29/30 Protesters hold baby Trump balloons in the rally outside of the president's 2020 campaign launch in Orlando, Florida Getty 30/30 An anti-Trump protester holds a sign accusing the president of being a traitor Getty
The row began when Mr Trump posted on Twitter saying: “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 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 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!”
Mr Trump has previously criticised Ms Ocasio-Cortez and Ms Omar, saying he “did not even know where they came from”. He claimed the pair were part of a group of Democrats being “disrespectful” to Ms Pelosi, the house speaker, after tensions between senior figures in the party and a younger generation of left-wing politicians.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez, a New York representative, responded to the latest outburst by claiming Mr Trump had “showed off his white nationalism for the world to see”.
She told him: “You are angry because you can’t conceive of an America that includes us. You rely on a frightened America for your plunder. You won’t accept a nation that sees healthcare as a right or education as a number one priority, especially where we’re the ones fighting for it. Yet here we are.”
Ms Omar tweeted: “Mr President, as members of congress, the only country we swear an oath to is the United States. Which is why we are fighting to protect it from the worst, most corrupt and inept president we have ever seen.”
She added: “You are stoking white nationalism because you are angry that people like us are serving in Congress and fighting against your hate-filled agenda.”
But Mr Trump hit back at accusations that his tweets were racist, saying: “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.
“Whenever confronted, they call their adversaries, including Nancy Pelosi, ‘RACIST’.
AcidHappening2 on July 15th, 2019 at 12:14 UTC »
Brit here- this is an easy win for May, resigning as she is. She gets points for standing up to the big bully and some 'special relationship' points with the jingoiists and Trump-critics alike, and then Boris Johnson becomes PM most likely. He's a total snake and will happily distance himself from Trump's remarks (while sucking up to him on the side) until either Trump's fall in or around 2020, or... inevitable global catastrophe I guess?
profssr-woland on July 15th, 2019 at 12:06 UTC »
Wow, when even the UK Conservative Party says, “alright lads that’s pretty racist,” you know you’ve said something terribly, terribly racist.
mzieg on July 15th, 2019 at 11:24 UTC »
Pretty strong stuff. Someone got an extra PG Tip in their beaker this morning.