On Wednesday, Louisiana’s Governor John Bel Edwards was joined by gubernatorial candidates Rep. Ralph Abraham, and Eddie Rispone in issuing responses to a series of racist tweets sent out by President Trump.
Trump had attacked four Congresswomen – all women of color, and three of whom were born in the United States – to “go back” to where they came from.
Governor John Bel Edwards issued a statement calling the President’s remarks “out of bounds,” saying “we ought to all aspire to better.” Edwards compared the President’s statements to those directed towards African American civil rights activists during the civil rights movement.
Meanwhile, Edwards’ Republican opponents Rep. Ralph Abraham and Eddie Rispone both supported Trump’s remarks.
“There’s no question that the members of Congress that (Trump) called out have absolutely said anti-American and anti-Semitic things,” Abraham wrote on Twitter. “I’ll pay for their tickets out of this country if they just tell me where they’d rather be.”
There’s no question that the members of Congress that @realDonaldTrump called out have absolutely said anti-American and anti-Semitic things. I’ll pay for their tickets out of this country if they just tell me where they’d rather be.
— Rep. Ralph Abraham (@RepAbraham) July 15, 2019
Eddie Rispone wrote on his Twitter, “(John Bel Edwards) showed his true colors today, attacking (Donald Trump) and siding with his America-bashing liberal allies who want open borders, sanctuary cities and socialism.”
.@JohnBelforLA showed his true colors today, attacking @realDonaldTrump and siding with his America-bashing liberal allies who want open borders, sanctuary cities and socialism.
— Eddie Rispone (@EddieRispone) July 17, 2019
The House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to condemn the President’s remarks as racist. It was the first censure of a sitting president in more than 100 years. The nonbinding resolution call’s Trump’s remarks “racist comments that have legitimized increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of color.”
Jenn Bentley is a freelance journalist and editor who publishes Wander N.O. More, a digital publication focused on the small businesses, events, people and projects that are the backbone of New Orleans. Her work has also been featured in publications such as The High Tech Society, FansShare, Yahoo News, Examiner.com, and others. Follow her on Twitter: @JennBentley_
