Trump labels AOC and other Democrats 'savages' amid impeachment inquiry

Reuters

President Trump speaks to reporters after arriving aboard Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland

• President Donald Trump tweeted to issue another pushback against Democratic lawmakers who had openly advocated for impeachment proceedings against him.
• Trump called out Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, California Rep. Adam Schiff, and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after House Democrats announced an impeachment inquiry on September 24.
• Lawmakers are weighing a whistleblower complaint that detailed a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky concerning a possible investigation into the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, who is one of Trump's main challengers for the presidency. 
• Trump's lashing out at the lawmakers, who are two Jewish men and four women of color, as "Savages" inspired accusations of racism and anti-Semitism. 
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President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday morning to issue another pushback against Democratic lawmakers who had openly advocated for impeachment proceedings against him.

Trump called out by name the House Judiciary Committee's chairman, Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, California Rep. Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chairman, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

"Can you imagine if these Do Nothing Democrat Savages, people like Nadler, Schiff, AOC Plus 3, and many more, had a Republican Party who would have done to Obama what the Do Nothings are doing to me," Trump wrote. "Oh well, maybe next time!"

Trump's mention of "Do Nothing Democrats" was a recycling of a dig he's used in the past to describe the party. The addition of the word "Savages" to describe two Jewish lawmakers and four female lawmakers of color who he previously told to "go back" to their "corrupt" and "broken and crime infested" countries of origin (only one was born outside of the US) set off criticism saying the tweet was racist and anti-Semitic.  

He followed the dig up with tweets containing several of his signature phrases, in which he insisted "KEEP AMERICA GREAT!," "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!," and "PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!"

Trump's tweet is the latest reaction from the president since he's come under scrutiny for a whistleblower complaint that detailed an official's concerns about Trump's contact with foreign leaders, specifically a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky concerning a possible investigation into the son of former Vice President Joe Biden.

Trump urged the foreign leader to investigate Biden, who is currently a frontrunner in the 2020 Election, and his son just days after Trump withheld nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine.

Read more: Here's the truth about the allegations involving Joe Biden's son and Ukraine drummed up by Trump and Rudy Giuliani

Trump dismissed initial reports surrounding the complaint, saying that he has "conversations with many leaders."

"It's always appropriate, always appropriate," Trump said of his conversations. "At the highest level always appropriate. And anything I do, I fight for this country."

House Democrats announced an impeachment inquiry on September 24 over the allegations that Trump used the interaction for his own political gain.

After the explosive whistleblower complaint was released, Trump launched a similarly combative 30-post tweetstorm 24 hours as the administration took an apparently unconcerned stance amid outcry from lawmakers and intelligence officials.

The White House had insisted in statements that the president did nothing wrong, emphasizing that the complaint is based on secondhand information, but confirmed that Trump pushed a foreign government for investigations that would benefit him politically.