President Donald Trump spent Sunday morning stewing over a nearly day old Washington Post story on aides’ concerns regarding his racist tweets about four congresswomen of color.

Echoing his standard smear of news stories that are unfavorable to him, Trump attacked the story as “Fake News” with “phony sources who do not exist,” despite its reliance on on-the-record quotes from key supporters.

The Washington Post Story, about my speech in North Carolina and tweet, with its phony sources who do not exist, is Fake News. The only thing people were talking about is the record setting crowd and the tremendous enthusiasm, far greater than the Democrats. You’ll see in 2020! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 21, 2019

Last week, Trump attacked attacked Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), tweeting the common racist trope that they should “go back” to their home countries. Omar is a naturalized American who came to the United States as a child from Somalia; The other three were born in the United States. At a North Carolina rally a few days later, the president smiled as his supporters chanted back his racist advice — “send her back,” referring to Omar.


According to the Post story, “President Trump’s own top aides didn’t think he fully understood what he had done last Sunday, when he fired off a trio of racist tweets before a trip to his golf course.” The piece features a series of on-the-record quotes from his staunch defender and confidant, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who said that Trump “realized that part of it was not playing well,” and that, as usual, the president doubled down and then adjusted. Trump initially disavowed his supporters remarks, suggesting on Thursday that they were the ones demonstrating inappropriate racism and falsely claiming that he had spoken quickly to try to stop them, before praising them and returning to the racist attacks.

Story begins staff saying they weren’t sure he understood what he did with the tweet (in part because if they concede he knew then it raises uncomfortable questions for themselves) which is always something that upsets him. https://t.co/u9l0HsOXCG — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) July 21, 2019

On Sunday morning, Trump unloaded on the Post for its unflattering piece. “The only thing people were talking about is the record setting crowd and the tremendous enthusiasm,” he lied. Then, in a follow-up tweet, he repeated another frequent Trump trope: trying to present himself as a victim. “Presidential Harrassment!” he exclaimed.

Presidential Harassment! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 21, 2019

Minutes later, Trump was back to his racist smears of the four elected women.

I don’t believe the four Congresswomen are capable of loving our Country. They should apologize to America (and Israel) for the horrible (hateful) things they have said. They are destroying the Democrat Party, but are weak & insecure people who can never destroy our great Nation! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 21, 2019

Trump called them “weak & insecure people” and suggested that they are the ones who owe America an apology.