‘The Squad’ hold a press conference, to address remarks made by US President Donald Trump earlier in the day, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on July 15, 2019. – (PHOTO: AFP.)
KARACHI: This week launched four congresswomen in the United States in a media frenzy with US President Donald Trump and the Republicans as he once again made a racist jab at the women by tweeting his discontentment of them on Sunday.
US representatives who make up ‘The Squad’ are Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American, Ilhan Omar, a Somalian-American, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Puerto-Rican- American and Ayanna Pressley, an African-American. These women have often spoken out against the current policies in the US government that do not benefit not only people of color but the standard US citizen. In a recent interview with Gayle King, they clarified their stance on different issues they hope to tackle as part of Congress.
The “hateful and racist policies” of the United States of America, according to the four congresswomen who make up ‘The Squad’, are in desperate need of change. Trump went on the twitter rant mentioned above after the interview.
The Squad, along with several others were quick to oppose Trump’s tweets suggesting that it is completely wrong and entirely racist to tell them to go back from where they came. The four women have also commented that they have dealt with bullies all of their lives growing up but Trump has so far proven to be the ‘biggest bully’ they have come across. The media outreach that they have had being held as a trigger for Trump’s innate racism has been almost laughable by most who are still revving in the shocks of these comments coming from the country’s president.
However, the situation surprisingly went from bad to worse as Trump’s defensive instincts landed him in another Twitter rampage on Wednesday detailing everything he thinks is wrong with the members of The Squad and generating a hate-filled shouting of his supporters at his rally telling the four members to go home.
The evidently problematic approach of the president in dealing with the women represent the previous tactics that he has seen employing whenever his policies have not been appreciated by others. This time it was seemingly more enraging as twitter users suggest that the distinctive features of the group (1.The fact that they’re women 2. The fact that they’re women of colour) could be the culprit. In addition to this, his supporters have escalated ethical boundaries through their backward and misogynistic comments labeling these women as ‘whacks’, mimicking the age-old perception of women being inhabitants of ‘hysteria’ every time they make a valid argument when they are unwilling to take a back seat to something that is not empathetic of others. The response of the members of the group is what has gone against their misogynistic opinions as the women handled the situation with utmost patience and intelligence. They also received a lot of support on Twitter where people made it clear that The Squad is staying right where they are.
The members of the Squad have aided in the expansion of political possibilities in their country after less than a year later of being in office. They promote ideals of progressiveness and have often been quoted to bring passion and empathy to the Congress when dealing with issues related to ordinary people. Due to this, they have easily formed a connection with the wider public and seem to be popular in the news one day after the other. The Squad not only represents the diversity that the US has but they represent the young, the energetic and all those who choose solidarity as a form of mutual benefit rather than personal benefit. We are excited to view the journey of these bright and capable women in office and anticipate the positive changes that they will bring.
