NEW ORLEANS — U.S. Senator John Kennedy, R-La., called a group of four Democratic congresswomen “fools” while largely supporting comments made this past weekend by President Donald Trump that the women should leave the country if they don’t like it here.
Kennedy, in a phone conference with the media, said he wished Trump had phrased things differently and also said that Trump’s attacks actually brought more notice to a group of congresswomen that he said was hurting themselves with their comments.
Trump’s tweet about ‘progressive Democratic congresswomen' did not identify them by name, but it has largely been believed to include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley, who have been outspoken against the administration and especially its policies on the border. Those were the four names Kennedy gave when asked to comment on the feud between Trump and the congresswomen.
“Frankly, I don’t know why the president felt the need to tweet on this subject at all. When you argue with a fool, you just prove there are two. I consider Congresswoman Omar, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, Congresswoman Tlaib and Congresswoman Pressley, I think that’s her name, they call themselves ‘the squad,’ I consider them to be fools. They hate America. They think America was wicked in its origins and it’s even more wicked today.”
Kennedy said he almost wishes the president had just let the congresswomen continue to make their comments without interrupting them.
“I don’t like to see the president even dignify their point of view. Besides that, I think ‘the squad,’ as they call themselves, they are destroying the Democratic Party. You know, when your opponent is screwing up, don’t interrupt him, let him go.”
On Monday, the four Democratic lawmakers held a press conference to respond to the president's comments.
"I encourage the American people and all of us in this room and beyond, to not take the bait. This is a disruptive distraction from the issues of care, concern and consequence to the American people," Pressley said.
Omar called the tweets "...a blatantly racist attack on four duly elected members of the United States of House of Representatives, all of whom are women of color."
"There's more love for unity, for respect for each other. There's a love that this is a nation of immigrants," Omar said on CNN's the Situation Room.
Watch the group's full Monday press conference here.
Watch Sen. Kennedy's full response below. Can't see the video? Click here
Here is the full text of Senator Kennedy’s answer to the question about the president’s tweets and the congresswomen.
‘There are a lot more important issues in front of the United States Congress and the American people than who tweets what to whom. So, let me say it one more time, I thought, in the president’s original tweet, I thought it was a poor choice of words. I think I know what the president meant, and he clarified later, and said, look, ‘if you’re not happy in America, leave! Just leave!’ and I agree with that.
But, his original articulation of that concept, in my opinion, fell short of the mark. Number two, frankly, I don’t know why the president felt the need to tweet on this subject at all. When you argue with a fool, you just prove there are two. I consider Congresswoman Omar, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, Congresswoman Tlaib and Congresswoman Pressley, I think that’s her name, they call themselves ‘the squad,’ I consider them to be fools. They hate America. They think America was wicked in its origins and it’s even more wicked today.
They ought to be thanking America, instead of calling America evil and wicked and racist. But this is America and they have the right to their opinion. But, I don’t like to see the president even dignify their point of view. Besides that, I think ‘the squad,’ as they call themselves, they are destroying the Democratic Party. You know, when your opponent is screwing up, don’t interrupt him, let him go. Just looking at this from a political standpoint, if I didn’t know better, I would think the members of ‘the squad,’ were GOP plants.
They think that illegal immigration, socialism, higher taxes, abortion are all moral goods. They think America, Israel, free enterprise are moral bads. That’s not what most Americans believe. That’s where I am on this subject. The president has explained his position. He has said, here’s what I meant. If you’re not happy living in America, it's a free country, leave, and I agree with that assessment.”