US House condemns Trump's 'racist' jibes against Democratic congresswomen

The US House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to condemn US President Donald Trump's recent "racist" outburst directed at four Democratic congresswomen, who are all People of Colour (POC).

The vote was 240-187, according to CNN. Four Republican leaders and one independent supported the resolution as well.

On Sunday, Trump shocked many after he indirectly asked the four congresswomen to go back to the "broken, crime-infested countries" they "came" from. This was the first among the several outbursts Trump has had on Twitter since while targetting the freshmen congresswomen, namely Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley. Tuesday's vote at the House witnessed several high-octane moments, including Pelosi's strong criticism of Trump. The choice of words used by Pelosi against Trump reportedly violated House rules, which halted floor action for an hour during which a heated debate regarding Pelosi's statements ensued.

The debate brought to fore the partisan anger with Trump's latest jibes, as the Democrats voted to not strike Pelosi's comments from the record -- as is done when a lawmaker is found not to be in order -- and invited Pelosi to speak again.

Reacting to the result of the House vote, Omar said that the decision to jointly condemn Trump sent a message to young children who "are wrestling with the weight of those words now coming from the President, that we hear them, we see them and we never will allow anybody to tell them that this isn't their country."

The four lawmakers have previously rejected Trump's statements, with Pressley stating, "He (Trump) does not embody the grace, the empathy, the compassion, the integrity that that office requires and that the American people deserve."

"That being said, I encourage the American people and all of us in this room and beyond to not take the bait. This is a disruptive distraction from the issues of care, concern, and consequence to the American people," she said.

Trump has tried to clarify that he does not have a "racist bone" in his body. "Those tweets were NOT racist," he said.

Ocasio-Cortez rejected Trump's latest statement and tweeted, "You're right, Mr President - you don't have a racist bone in your body. You have a racist mind in your head and a racist heart in your chest. That's why you violate the rights of children and tell the Congresswoman who represents your home borough, to "go back to my country".

( With inputs from ANI )