“Send her back.” Photo: Zach Gibson/Getty Images

As President Trump was reaching the crescendo of a three-minute screed against Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar at Wednesday night’s campaign rally in North Carolina, the crowd broke into a chant of “Send her back.”

Trump’s reaction was relatively subdued. He didn’t smile or smirk or repeat the phrase. But he did step away from the mic, allowing the chant to fill the arena. “Send her back” echoed Trump’s widely criticized tweets from over the weekend, when he said Omar and three other congresswomen of color should “go back” to their home counties, where the “governments are a complete and total catastrophe.” Three of the four congresswomen were born in the U.S.

Trump’s supporters tried to spin the tweets, but the chant Wednesday dispensed with the pretense: Trump’s fans don’t want Omar to move to a place she likes better than the U.S.; they want to forcibly eject her from the country.

That was too much for even some conservatives, who might hate Omar, but recognize that deporting political opponents is a bad idea. And so they tweeted their opposition to the chant, in a few different ways:

Omar is a despicable, America-hating socialist — but also, the chant was bad.

We need to be better than chanting #SendHerBack. Rep. Ilhan Omar is an American citizen. A self righteous, America hating, anti semitic, bigoted, socialist citizen. But a citizen nonetheless. We do not deport citizens. Disagree with her but do not chant that. — Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) July 18, 2019

Though it was brief, I struggled with the “send her back” chant tonight referencing Rep. Omar. Her history, words & actions reveal her great disdain for both America & Israel. That should be our focus and not phrasing that’s painful to our friends in the minority communities. — Rep. Mark Walker (@RepMarkWalker) July 18, 2019

Vile. Omar is awful. She is a radical anti-Semite with terrible views. She is also an American citizen and chanting for her deportation based on her exercise of the First Amendment is disgusting. https://t.co/Y4nzHPzba4 — Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 18, 2019

Check my feed. I’m very tough on Omar bc she deserves it, on the merits.



I am sickened by the hate-laced “send her back” chants. Shame on every person who participated.



POTUS has a responsibility to put an end to it. He alone has the ability to do so. Chant “vote her out.” — Guy Benson (@guypbenson) July 18, 2019

I disagree with Omar’s politics, and the chant was bad.

I am extremely uncomfortable and appalled by the statements and positions of U.S. Rep. @Ilhan @IlhanMN. I am also extremely uncomfortable with a Trump rally crowd in NC chanting "send her back." I work to expose her on facts, not through mob torch carrying.#IlhanOmar — Todd Schnitt (@toddschnitt) July 18, 2019

The “send her back” chants were wrong, vile, and don’t reflect who we are as Americans. I strongly oppose @IlhanMN views and policies but those chants have no place in our society. — Matt Brooks (@mbrooksrjc) July 18, 2019

Anyone who follows me knows that I cover the far-left and that includes Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and I'm aggressive in my reporting which comes from a conservative angle



With that said, chanting "send her back" at Omar is not good



Keep in mind, I am one of her harshest critics — Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) July 18, 2019

I know I’m a broken record. But there is nothing in American patriotism that could create an argument for “send her back.” There is plenty in nationalism that would demand it. Oh, FWIW I think Omar’s views run the gamut from silly to reprehensible. But she’s an American. Period. — Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) July 18, 2019

I deeply disagree with the extreme left & have been disgusted by their tone. I woke up today equally disgusted - chants like “send her back” are ugly, wrong, & would send chills down the spines of our Founding Fathers. This ugliness must end, or we risk our great union. — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) July 18, 2019

The chant was bad, full stop.

I challenge every Republican to watch @realDonaldTrump’s rally last night, complete with chants of “Send her back”, and ask if that is the Party of Lincoln and Reagan we signed up for. We are in a fight for the soul of the GOP, and silence is not an option. #AmericaDeservesBetter — Gov. Bill Weld (@GovBillWeld) July 18, 2019

Agree with Guy. “Send her back” is completely and totally unacceptable. It’s not a defense of Omar to say this is not how we treat American citizens. https://t.co/8bJXgWjMEC — David French (@DavidAFrench) July 18, 2019

It saddens me beyond belief that the standard-bearer for the Republican Party, my Party, is making “Send her back” his re-election rallying cry.



It’s so ugly. It’s so un-American. It just saddens me beyond belief. https://t.co/eM7WT5HZVq — Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) July 18, 2019

"Send her back" is a nativist, terrible chant. Also electoral suicide. There're more than 400,000 naturalized residents in PA, w/ 200,000 more in Michigan. @realdonaldTrump won PA by and MI by 11K, PA by 44K. #VoteHerOut --fine. #SendHerBack --nativist. Catholics, btw, remember. — Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) July 18, 2019

Actually, the chant was good.

New Campaign slogan for #2020?



“Don’t love it? Leave it!”



Send her back is the new lock her up.



Well done to #TeamTrump



pic.twitter.com/5n4O59HhQD — Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) July 18, 2019

SEND HER BACK was chanted at the #TrumpRally and I agree!



It wasn’t Racist! No matter what color you are YOU can go back home or move if you don’t like America.



I stand With Trump! Who’s with me???#TrumpRallyNC #GreenvilleRally #Greenville pic.twitter.com/KyS8JiLmou — Terrence K. Williams (@w_terrence) July 18, 2019

“Send her back” is crowd sentiment for “Anyone that hates America can leave. We are patriots who love this land, unapologetically”.



Looney liberals & pompous Never Trumpers taking it literally as if anyone is seriously calling for her deportation.



Intellectual bankruptcy. — Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) July 18, 2019

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