By a near-party line vote of 240-187, the House of Representatives voted this evening to condemn Trump's racist tweets against Democratic House members. Republican Reps. Will Hurd, Fred Upton, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Susan Brooks crossed to vote with the Democrats, as did now-independent Rep. Justin Amash.
All but four House Republicans voted that Trump's tweet telling four Democrats, all of whom are women of color, to "go back" to the countries from which they came (all but one are American-born) was not a racist remark. Instead, they used procedural motions to challenge House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Eric Swalwell who called Trump's remarks "racist" in their speeches supporting the resolution.
Before the vote, Rep. John Lewis delivered a blistering speech in support of the resolution. "I know racism when I see it," said Lewis. "Segregationists told us to 'go back.'"
"With this vote, we stand with our sisters, three were born in America and one came here looking for a better life,” he continued. “With this vote, we meet our moral obligation to condemn hate, racism, and bigotry in every form."
The Republican Party has long relied on dog-whistle racism to motivate an American base of bigots and nationalists. With this vote, virtually the entire GOP asserted it would stand by presidential racism of the most overt, "go back where you came from" sort. The party has lost its soul; there is nothing left to say, and no dignity even pretended at.
Trump is obviously a racist in word and deed. He premised his opposition to Barack Obama, his presidential campaign, his anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim policies, and countless speeches and declarations on the stoking of white nationalist-premised fears and white nationalist-premised conspiracies. There is no question. And there is no question that the vast majority of Republican lawmakers will not just abide, but defend, Trump's toxic and ultimately un-American rhetoric.
