Ohio Lawmakers React to Trump’s “Go Back” Tweets

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ohio's members of Congress have different reactions to President Trump's recent tweets telling four Democratic congresswomen of color to "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came."

The tweets were sent out on Sunday, leading to a week's worth of reaction and condemnation on Capitol Hill.

They were directed at Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who are all freshmen members of Congress and vocal critics of Trump.

Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley and Tlaib are American-born citizens. Omar was born in Somalia, but became a U.S. citizen after coming to America as a refugee.

On Tuesday, a resolution in the House of Representatives condemning the president's words as racist passed in a 240 to 187 vote. All four of Ohio's House Democrats voted for it; all 12 of Ohio's House Republicans voted against it.

On Thursday, a bill to impeach Trump was introduced by a Texas Democrat in the House. Members eventually voted on ‘a motion to table' the bill, meaning to stop it from progressing further at this time.

The ‘motion to table' passed in a 332-95-1 vote. Two of Ohio's House Democrats, Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-03) and Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-11), voted against tabling the bill. Ohio's two other Democrats, Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-09) and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-13), voted for tabling it.

Before the resolution was voted on, Spectrum News Washington reporter Taylor Popielarz reached out to Ohio's 16 U.S. House members and two U.S. senators with these three questions:

1. Is this set of tweets racist?
2. Should Congress respond to the tweets in any formal way?
3. Do you condemn the president for what he said?

14/18 members either responded to the questions directly or replied with broader statements.

You can read each of them below.

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH): "President Trump's remarks were racist and un-American. Period. I've called on President Trump to end this divisive rhetoric and I urge my colleagues in Congress to do the same."

Senator Rob Portman (R-OH): "That's not something I would say, and I think it's divisive, unnecessary and wrong."

Rep. Steve Chabot (R-01): "One of our nation's greatest strengths is our diversity of backgrounds and opinions. We should work together on solutions to our problems, and we can disagree without being disagreeable."

Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-02):Has not responded.

Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-03): "The president's tweet telling my four female colleagues to ‘go back' to the ‘places from which they come' is disgusting—and reminiscent of a time in our country's history when discrimination ruled. Hearing the hateful rhetoric coming out of the White House cannot be tolerated by anyone who claims to love this country. We are stronger as a country when we are united, so I implore all Americans—Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike—to speak out against this vile, xenophobic, and dangerous attack on our fellow Americans."

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-04): "The President is frustrated by the ridiculous and dangerous positions of the Left: free healthcare for illegal immigrants, calling detention facilities ‘concentration camps,' saying ‘walls are immoral,' calling to abolish ICE and DHS, advocating for a borderless hemisphere, saying they ‘wouldn't oppose' non-citizens voting, raising a Mexican flag at an ICE facility in Colorado, and attempting to blow up an ICE facility in Tacoma, WA. Of course he's not racist!"

Rep. Bob Latta (R-05): "I believe we should always be respectful in our political discourse and we must focus on the challenges facing our country."

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-06): "I voted no on the Democrats' political move to condemn President Trump today, because I don't think the President is a racist - no more than I think Nancy Pelosi is a racist. I have a wife, two daughters, and four granddaughters... so I'm surrounded by strong women. And, I served for over 26 years in the United States Air Force with some unbelievably professional and patriotic warriors...from every race and ethnic background that makes up America's great diverse culture. So, I don't oppose my Democrat colleagues because of their gender, race, or ethnicity. Rather, I oppose them because their liberal ideas like embracing socialism, open borders, destroying Medicare and private health insurance, and abortion of babies up until moments before birth are simply wrong for America. We have far more important issues to work on - issues like: infrastructure; rural broadband expansion; and, securing our borders and implementing a merit-based immigration system. I urge my Democrat colleagues to change course, and let's do what the American people sent us here to do."

Rep. Gibbs (R-07):Has not responded.

Rep. Warren Davison (R-08):Has not responded.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-09):

1. Yes. Though the President is 73 years old, he doesn't behave like the wise father of a great nation. He is a divider, not a unifier and healer. He insults, antagonizes, and tries to stoke up resentments for political gain. America is so much better than his calculating rants.
2. The House will consider the Malinowski-Raskin Resolution. I will support it.
3. The President should act his age, not taunt, bully, and antagonize. Yes, his behavior should be condemned.

Rep. Mike Turner (R-10): "I am confident that every Member of Congress is a committed American. @realDonaldTrump's tweets from this weekend were racist and he should apologize. We must work as a country to rise above hate, not enable it."

Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-11): Has not responded.

Rep. Troy Balderson (R-12): "To me, part of being patriotic means embracing the values laid out by our founding fathers. This includes being accepting of all races and cultures. Leaders of our great nation—including the President and all Members of Congress—should be held to high standards of decorum. Therefore I do not condone yesterday's tweets."

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-13): "President Trump's tweets are disgusting, vile & racist. He's telling four Congresswomen of color to go back to where they came from. His behavior is un-presidential & un-American. Diversity does not weaken us, it makes us stronger." (Also answered ‘yes' to all three questions)

Rep. Dave Joyce (R-14): "What the President tweeted this weekend was wrong. It's past time we all stop tearing each other down and focus our efforts on working together civilly to solve the challenges facing our country and build upon the success the American people have seen over the past few years."

Rep. Steve Stivers (R-15): "I condemn the President's tweet calling on Members of Congress to go back to the ‘crime infested places from which they came.' The constituents we represent sent us to Washington with a job to do – maintain our economic growth, fix our immigration system, and look out for our veterans, to start. Swapping insults on the Internet makes our jobs that much harder. The divisive rhetoric and personal attacks we've seen from the President and Members of the House over the weekend are unacceptable and stand directly in the way of progress."

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-16): "While I disagree passionately with many of my colleagues on substantive policy issues, the comments from @POTUS yesterday were wildly inappropriate. That type of rhetoric only divides us when we need to be coming together to solve the real problems we face as a nation."

This article was originally published by Spectrum News 1 on July 19, 2019.