President Donald Trump posted a tweet Tuesday that sparked an outrage from Democrats on Capitol Hill. Despite this, some GOP lawmakers noted President Bill Clinton’s supporters used similar language to describe his impeachment in 1998, according to cbs.com
What We Know:
- Early Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump Tweeted: “All Republicans much remember what they are witnessing here – a lynching. But we will WIN!”
So some day, if a Democrat becomes President and the Republicans win the House, even by a tiny margin, they can impeach the President, without due process or fairness or any legal rights. All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here – a lynching. But we will WIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2019
- African American lawmakers as well as others took particular offense at the post. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-III) said, “What the hell is wrong with you? Do you know how many people who look like me have been lynched since the inception of this country, by people who look you. Delete this tweet.”
- Trump said he’s not comparing himself to those dark times. Instead, he was criticizing his treatment by Democrats and journalists whom he said have called for his impeachment ever since he was elected.
- White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said that Trump has accomplished many things for African Americans, citing low unemployment rates and a criminal justice reform bill.
- In October 1998 during an interview with CNN, Joe Biden stated, “Even if the president [Bill Clinton] should be impeached, history is going to question whether or not this was just a partisan lynching.”
- Biden stated that he used the wrong term of words and that he was extremely apologetic, whereas “Trump on the other hand chose his words deliberately today in his use of word lynching and country to stroke racial divides in this country daily”.
Trump believes that the Republicans have not been aggressive enough in defending him in the 2020 election stating that “They have to get tougher and fight”. Maybe they are also ready for him to step down.
This wasn’t the right word to use and I’m sorry about that. Trump on the other hand chose his words deliberately today in his use of the word lynching and continues to stoke racial divides in this country daily. https://t.co/mHfFC8HluZ
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 23, 2019