Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) used his presidential campaign to encourage supporters to donate to Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) re-election campaign following a week fraught with fighting between President Trump and ultra-left members of the “Squad.”
Following the “send her back” chant which erupted at Trump’s rally in Greenville, North Carolina, on Wednesday night after Trump mentioned Omar’s past “vicious, antisemitic screeds,” Sanders’ campaign sent out an email that read in part, “Can you split a $2.70 contribution between Ilhan Omar’s re-election campaign and our campaign for president? Send a message that we will fight back against Trump’s racism.”
Sanders also tweeted out a picture – featuring himself with Omar – with a link to the donation page.
“Last night, I was with @IlhanMN when we heard people at Trump’s rally were chanting ‘send her back,'” he tweeted, adding that she was “unfazed” and urging supporters to contribute in order to “send a message that Trump’s racism will not stand.”
Last night, I was with @IlhanMN when we heard people at Trump's rally were chanting “send her back."
She was unfazed. Sadly, she said, this racism isn't new.
Ilhan has incredible courage. She won’t back down to Trump’s hate, and neither will we. https://t.co/APxYmEJSOT pic.twitter.com/4BJefURuwP
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 18, 2019
That is not the first time Sanders has encouraged supporters to split campaign contributions to benefit a member of the Squad.
Earlier this week, the Sanders campaign asked for split donations in a message reading in part, “This weekend, Trump told four progressive congresswomen to go back to the ‘crime infested places from which they came.’ When I call Donald Trump a racist, this is what I’m talking about.”
The crowd at Trump’s Greenville rally shouted “send her back” after Trump mentioned Omar’s history of offensive remarks, many of which were antisemitic in nature.
“So Representative Omar blamed the United States for the terrorist attacks on our country, saying that terrorism is a reaction to our involvement in other people’s affairs,” Trump said at the rally Wednesday.
“She smeared U.S. service members involved in ‘Black Hawk Down’ — in other words, she slandered the brave Americans who were trying to keep peace in Somalia,” he continued.
“Omar has a long history of launching vicious, anti-Semitic screeds,” he added, triggering the “send her back” chant, which Trump later condemned.
“It was quite a chant. I felt a little bit badly about it, but I will say this: I did start speaking very quickly, ” he told reporters at the White House on Thursday. “I was not happy with it. I disagree with it, but, again, I didn’t say that; they did.”
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