Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: Trump's Racist Tweets Undermine Our Freedoms

Press Release

Today, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) voted to pass a resolution condemning President Trump for recent racist and divisive comments. The measure passed by a vote of 240-187.

"Trump's comments were made to foment racism and bigotry, to further divide our country for his own political gain, and put his own interests ahead of the interests of our country. Trump telling Americans who disagree with or even criticize the President that they should "go back to where they came from' undermines the rights and freedoms that I and my brothers and sisters in uniform have served and sacrificed to protect," said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. "Our freedom of speech and right to dissent are the most fundamentally American values that we must all stand up for and protect."

Background: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been a vocal opponent of bigotry and has drawn attention to the challenges America has and continues to face on this front. She recently drew attention to the growing divisiveness in the U.S. and contrasted it to the spirit of aloha at the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors which was hosted in Honolulu, HI.

Earlier this year, she joined Rep. John Lewis (GA-05) for his annual pilgrimage to Alabama to commemorate the Civil Rights Movement. She is a cosponsor of H.R.40 which calls for the creation of a commission to explore reparations proposals to address the impact slavery and its legacy.

During her time in Congress she has commemorated the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, noting that the divisiveness and bigotry underlying Executive Order 9066 persists to this day and must be confronted with love and respect. She also confronted anti-Muslim bias and emphasized the importance of bringing communities together through compassion and justice as well as evoked the legacy of peace and non-violent change championed by Mahatma Gandhi.

About Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is serving her fourth term in the United States House representing Hawaii's Second District, and serves on the House Armed Services and Financial Services Committees. She previously served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Homeland Security Committee. She was elected to the Honolulu City Council in 2010, and prior to that at age 21, was elected to the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 2002, becoming the youngest person ever elected in the state. Tulsi Gabbard has served in the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard for 16 years, is a veteran of two Middle East deployments, and continues to serve as a Major. Learn more about Rep. Tulsi Gabbard...

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