House GOP Leaders Claim Trump Tweets Not Racist Because We Are ‘Party Of Lincoln’

on July 24, 2018 in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 24: House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) participates in a weekly press conference with Republican House leaders at the U.S. Capitol July 24, 2018 in Washington, DC. When asked about U.S... WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 24: House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) participates in a weekly press conference with Republican House leaders at the U.S. Capitol July 24, 2018 in Washington, DC. When asked about U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of revoking security privileges of political opponents, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said he thought Trump was "trolling" his political opponents. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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House Republican leadership does not intend to vote in favor of a resolution condemning President Trump for using racist rhetoric against four congresswomen of color and argued the uproar over Trump’s tweets was purely political.

“I will vote against this resolution if you’re asking,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said during the House GOP leadership’s weekly press conference. “It’s all politics. … Let’s solve the problems that are before us.”

When asked about the “perception” that President Trump’s tweet was racist — when he told Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) to go back to their home country, even though three of the four were born in the U.S. — McCarthy deflected.

“I think the President clarified that yesterday,” he said, before suggesting that Republicans are the “Party of Lincoln” that believes “in the content of the individual.” He then offered that Republicans took action against Rep. Steve King (R-IA) when he did something “that we disagreed with.” McCarthy suggested Democrats have not done the same, despite a resolution condemning anti-Semitism that surfaced when Omar was accused of making anti-Semitic statements.

“I believe this is about ideology,” he said. “This is about socialism versus freedom.”

Just after McCarthy ended the press conference, Trump tweeted his thanks for the GOP leader’s remarks.

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