President's tweets spark defense, criticism in Montana

A tweet from President Donald Trump has caused some outrage in the world of politics with claims of racism while wagons are being circled to defend his comments.

Its ripples have been felt in Montana as well, including elected officials and those from the religious community who criticized the president and Sen. Steve Daines for supporting Trump.

“Montana deserves and expects more from its representatives. It is not the Montana way to personally attack others for their political viewpoints or positions,” wrote the Montana Association Of Rabbis, which represents rabbis in Billings,  Bozeman,  Missoula  and Whitefish.

Early on July 14, the president sent a series of tweets that have sparked a firestorm, even for a president whose tweets often bring debate:

“So interesting to see “Progressive” Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run," he wrote. "Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it is done. These places need your help badly, you can’t leave fast enough. I’m sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!”

He later tweeted certain people hate the country.

"They are anti-Israel, pro Al-Qaeda, and comment on the 9/11 attack, 'some people did something.' Radical Left Democrats want Open Borders, which means drugs, crime, human trafficking, and much more...." he wrote.

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives formally condemned the president for the remarks thought to be aimed at Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. 

Trump continued in his criticisms about the four congresswomen: "Why isn't the House voting to rebuke the filthy and hate laced things they have said? Because they are the Radical Left, and the Democrats are afraid to take them on. Sad!"

Many have labeled his comments as racist. The president denied that claim Tuesday.

“Those Tweets were NOT Racist,” the president tweeted. “I don’t have a Racist bone in my body! The so-called vote to be taken is a Democrat con game. Republicans should not show “weakness” and fall into their trap. This should be a vote on the filthy language, statements and lies told by the Democrat .....”

Gov. Steve Bullock, now running for president in 2020, tweeted a comment shortly after the president posted his remarks on social media.

“Our children are watching,” Bullock wrote. “It’s time we get this behavior out of the Oval Office.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told the media “The president's not a racist."

"From the president to the Speaker (Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.) to freshman members of the House, all of us have a responsibility to elevate the public discourse," McConnell said, according to USAToday. "Our words do matter. We all know politics is a contact sport. But it's about time we lowered the temperature all across the board. All of us ought to contribute to a better level of discourse."

Montana's two U.S. Senators offered a response on Monday, reflecting party lines:

“Montanans are sick and tired of listening to anti-American, anti-Semite, radical Democrats trash our country and our ideals,” Daines, a Republican up for re-election in 2020, tweeted. “This is America. We’re the greatest country in the world.  I stand with @realdonaldtrump.”

Democratic Sen. Jon Tester weighed in with his own tweet: “We should be able to disagree on policy and politics without devolving into divisive, hateful rhetoric. President Trump’s comments were reprehensible and far beneath the office of the Presidency,”

A spokesman for GOP Rep. Greg Gianforte said he was concerned less about where extreme liberals are from and more about their socialist agenda for socialized medicine, open borders, and a national gun registry.

"Greg will continue standing against socialism and working to protect our Montana way of life,” he said.

The rabbis criticized Daines' comments, saying “Collectively,  as Montana's rabbis,  we are the experts on antisemitism in Montana.”

They said that accusing these representatives of antisemitism is no justification for telling them "to go back to where they came from" or inciting violence against them.

They said Trump’s comments present a serious threat to Jewish communities. “We do not feel safer or supported by Senator Daines' comments, rather we fear the legitimization the president and the senator are giving to racism, xenophobia, misogyny and hatred.”

"At a time when many of the core values and norms of American democracy are under threat, we cannot equivocate or hesitate to challenge the forces of hate, even — and especially — when these forces cloak themselves in the authority of the Senate or the White House," the rabbis wrote. They invite Daines to meet with them.

A Daines spokeswoman said Tuesday that the senator "welcomes the feedback of all Montanans."

"Steve is a strong supporter of Israel and the Jewish people. And as you saw in his recent tweet, he believes the anti-Semitic rhetoric from radical Democratic lawmakers is astounding," Julia Doyle said. "Daines is a staunch supporter of Israel and the Jewish people, always has been throughout the years."

Daines’ tweet prompted Democratic candidates running against him in the U.S. Senate to call on him to resign.

“The sort of divisive and disgusting politics that Senator Daines is dabbling in are dangerous to our country’s unity and have no place in Montana. Daines needs to apologize immediately,” Wilmot Collins, a Liberian refugee now serving as Helena’s mayor said in a press release.

John Mues, a Navy veteran who lives near Loma, said Daines’ comments would make Vladimir Putin’s Russia and Kim Jong-un’s North Korea smile.

“He’s their type of politician, the type whose policies weaken America,” Mues tweeted. They won’t be smiling in Nov. 2020.” 

The Great Falls YWCA states that its mission is to “eliminate racism and empower all women and their families.”

Sandi Filipowicz, its executive director, said she was disturbed by the president’s comments. 

“I am speaking from the white perspective and have seen most racism in my life as institutional racism, but to hear from president of the United States is very distressing for me,” she said, adding she thought what Trump said was a racial comment, but did not come from racial hatred on his part.

“He is unhappy with what those women are doing,” she said. 

“I am really frustrated with how few consequences he has had for these kinds of attacks,” Filipowicz said, adding it was racist to choose four congresswomen just because they are saying things he doesn’t like.

She said she had never seen a president be so partisan that they can’t work together for the betterment of the country.

“He’s constantly trying to divide groups of people,” Filipowicz said. “I think there are a lot of Republicans who don’t agree with him ... Our country is made of many different colors.”

"Being hateful is not what our country is about, and this is very sad to see," she said.

For whatever it’s worth, “Twitter etiquette for beginners – dummies,” suggests being “polite on Twitter for the most part, but no more or less so than you’re expected to be in the real world — just keep in mind that Twitter is a public forum.”

Reporter Phil Drake is our eye on the state capitol. For tips, suggestions or comment, he can be reached at 406-231-9021 or pdrake@greatfallstribune.com. To support his work, subscribe today and get a special offer.

The letter from the rabbis to Sen. Steve Daines

An Open Letter to Senator Daines:

The Montana Association Of Rabbis (MAOR), representing rabbis in Billings,  Bozeman,  Missoula  and Whitefish,  is unanimously appalled by the ongoing torrent of racist incitement and personal attacks that President Trump continues to direct against Democratic women of color in Congress. MAOR is unanimously appalled and surprised by Senator Daines' support of the president's views and attacks.

Montana deserves and expects more from its representatives. It is not the Montana way to personally attack others for their political viewpoints or positions. It is not the Montana way to promote bigotry or hatred, as the senator himself stated with his fellow representatives on December 27, 2016:  "We stand firmly together to send a clear message that ignorance, hatred and threats of violence are unacceptable and have no place...in Montana or across this nation." 

Collectively,  as Montana's rabbis,  we are the experts on antisemitism in Montana; we have studied it, lived it,  and know it when we see it.  We refuse to allow the real threat of antisemitism to be weaponized and exploited by those who themselves share a large part of the responsibility for the rise of white nationalist and antisemitic violence in this country. Accusing these representatives of antisemitism is no justification for telling them "to go back to where they came from" or inciting violence against them.

In a direct affront to Montana's Jewish communities and Jewish leaders, Senator Daines has decided to join in the president's rhetoric of hate, a rhetoric which presents a serious threat to Jewish communities. We do not feel safer or supported by Senator Daines' comments, rather we fear the legitimization the president and the senator are giving to racism, xenophobia, misogyny and hatred.

At a time when many of the core values and norms of American democracy are under threat, we cannot equivocate or hesitate to challenge the forces of hate, even — and especially — when these forces cloak themselves in the authority of the Senate or the White House.

We invite Senator Daines to meet with MAOR's rabbis so that he can learn more about the dangers of antisemitism and how his words do not combat antisemitism as much as they promote white supremacy and hatred.