Trump Continues Attacks on Foreign-Born Democratic Congresswomen as Rally Crowd Chants “Send Her Back”
During a campaign rally in Greenville, North Carolina on July 17, U.S. President Donald Trump once again lashed out at Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, prompting a chilling reaction from the crowd. As Trump criticized Omar—who came to the United States as a Somali refugee at the age of eight—his supporters erupted in a chant of “Send her back!” echoing throughout the arena.
“She looks down with contempt on the hardworking Americans, then claims that ignorance is widespread across much of the country,” Trump said, singling out Omar. He didn’t stop there—he also took aim at three other progressive, foreign-born Democratic congresswomen: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib.
“Let them leave,” Trump continued. “They’re always telling us how to run things—how to do this or that. If they don’t love this country, tell them to leave.”
The crowd roared in approval, chanting “Send her back!”—a moment that has since drawn widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum.
Former Republican congressman Joe Walsh called the chant “ugly, ignorant, dangerous, and un-American,” urging fellow Republicans to denounce what he described as a display of blind hatred.
In response, Omar took to Twitter, quoting the late poet 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.”
Several Democratic presidential candidates also spoke out in Omar’s defense. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren expressed their solidarity, calling Trump’s comments disgraceful and divisive.
Former Vice President Joe Biden issued a pointed statement: “Mr. President, I’m here to tell you: This is our country. The United States of America. You will never understand what truly makes this nation strong.”
The war of words between Trump and the group of Democratic congresswomen—often referred to as “The Squad”—erupted after the president tweeted that they should “go back” to their countries and fix the problems there before criticizing the U.S. government. Although all four women are American citizens, and three were born in the U.S., Trump’s tweet unleashed a national controversy over race, immigration, and patriotism.
In response, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives passed a resolution on July 16 formally condemning Trump’s remarks, describing them as “racist comments that have legitimized and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of color.”
Still, Trump remained defiant. “I don’t have a racist bone in my body,” he insisted, claiming he merely said what “many Americans believe”—that the congresswomen “hate our country.”
The incident has deepened divisions in an already polarized political landscape and sparked renewed debate about the role of race and nationalism in American political discourse. While Trump’s base appeared energized by his rhetoric, many others, including prominent Republicans, warned that such language poses a real threat to American values and unity.
As the 2020 election looms, the president’s words and the crowd’s reaction in Greenville have become a defining moment—one that could resonate far beyond the rally itself.
