Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOn The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline McCarthy says there will be a peaceful transition if Biden wins Anxious Democrats amp up pressure for vote on COVID-19 aid MORE (D-N.Y.) turned to social media to offer encouragement to “those scared for our future” after President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE targeted the first-term lawmaker and three progressive colleagues at a rally Wednesday evening.

“To all those scared for our future: we can get through this better than we started. We have the power to triumph over hatred, division, and bigotry. But decency cannot be taken for granted. It is something we must create, advance, and actively work to build each and every day,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted early Thursday morning.

To all those scared for our future: we can get through this better than we started.



We have the power to triumph over hatred, division, and bigotry.



But decency cannot be taken for granted. It is something we must create, advance, and actively work to build each and every day. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 18, 2019

Trump used his rally in North Carolina to hammer four progressive congresswomen of color known as "the squad” with whom he has carried on an escalating feud in recent days.

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In the middle of a diatribe against Rep. Ilhan Omar Ilhan OmarOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' Democrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise MORE (D-Minn.), a naturalized U.S. citizen who came to the U.S. as a refugee from Somalia, the crowd broke into chants of “Send her back.”

“You may shoot me with your words,/ You may cut me with your eyes,/ You may kill me with your hatefulness,/ But still, like air, I’ll rise,” Omar tweeted in response, quoting Maya Angelou.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise.



-Maya Angelou https://t.co/46jcXSXF0B — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 18, 2019

Trump also mocked Ocasio-Cortez by refusing to call her by her full name, saying, “We’ll call her Cortez. Too much time.”

He joked Rep. Ayanna Pressley Ayanna PressleyFauci, Black Lives Matter founders included on Time's 100 Most Influential People list Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' Pressley applauded on House floor after moving speech on living with alopecia MORE (D-Mass.), who is black, could be related to the singer Elvis Presley and added that Rep. Rashida Tlaib Rashida Harbi TlaibTrump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' George Conway: 'Trump is like a practical joke that got out of hand' Pelosi endorses Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate primary challenge MORE (D-Mich.) is “not somebody that loves our country.”

“They never have anything good to say. That’s why I say, ‘Hey if they don’t like it, let them leave. Let them leave,’ ” Trump said. “They’re always telling us how to run it, how to do this — you know what, if they don’t love it, tell them to leave it.”

The president fired the first shot Sunday when he tweeted that the four congresswomen “who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe” should “go back and help fix the totally broken crime infested places from which they came.”

....and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. 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.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2019

Three of the four were born in the U.S., and all are citizens.

He was met with an avalanche of criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, who said the tweet played on racist tropes.

The House formally condemned the remarks in a 240-187 vote Tuesday.