CONCORD – New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley criticized GOP Gov. Chris Sununu for not condemning President Trump’s racist tweet about four freshmen Democratic House members or say the tweet was racist.
Trump’s tweet has dominated the news since Sunday. In the tweet, Trump called on the four women of color to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came,” incorrectly assuming they came from other countries although they are all American citizens and three were born here.
Buckley pointed to comments Sununu made to the New Hampshire Union Leader and WMUR when asked his opinion on the tweet.
“Chris Sununu has sold out Granite Staters by refusing to say what’s plainly true – simply to avoid angering his political ally Donald Trump. If Sununu won’t condemn Trump’s obviously racist tweet, will there be anything of Trump’s extremism he will condemn? I’m not going to hold my breath,” Buckley said.
Sununu’s spokesman emailed InDepthNH.org the same statement Wednesday he apparently sent out the day before to other media that doesn’t address the tweet or Trump:
“The rhetoric coming out of Washington is toxic and offensive, and the American people are fed up with it. Here in New Hampshire, we do it differently, and we treat everyone with respect. We’re always willing to respect each other’s words and work across the aisle. And frankly, I think that’s why New Hampshire can be a model for the rest of the country. We do everything we can to make sure that we don’t let that kind of nonsense come into this great state,” the Sununu statement said.
The Hill reported that Trump has signaled he will discuss the tweet Wednesday night at a rally in Greenville, N.C.
“Trump sees the attacks on Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Ayanna Presley (Mass.) and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) as energizing his base, however, and has signaled he will keep up the attacks. The four women represent the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, and Trump and his allies have also targeted them as communists and anti-American,” The Hill reported.
NHDP chair Ray Buckley emailed the following links to the media Wednesday:
Sununu Avoided Criticizing Trump Over Racist Tweets. According to the Union Leader, “in the wake of President Donald Trump’s controversial tweets about four minority congresswomen, one local Republican candidate decried Trump’s comments while others avoided direct criticism of the President.” [Union Leader, 7/16/2019]
Sununu Wouldn’t Condemn Trump’s Tweet As Racist. According to WMUR, the “Republican governor declines to say if Trump’s ‘go back’ tweet about 4 congresswomen was racist.” [WMUR, 7/16/2019]