Former Sen. Al Franken Alan (Al) Stuart FrankenGOP Senate candidate says Trump, Republicans will surprise in Minnesota Peterson faces fight of his career in deep-red Minnesota district Getting tight — the psychology of cancel culture MORE (D-Minn.) tweeted Monday that it's time for people to start taking 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 “literally.”

“It's time to stop taking Trump seriously and to start taking him literally,” Franken tweeted Monday afternoon, referencing a 2016 column in The Atlantic by Salena Zito arguing that the press takes Trump “literally, but not seriously” while his supporters take him “seriously, but not literally.”

It's time to stop taking Trump seriously and to start taking him literally. — Al Franken (@alfranken) July 15, 2019

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The tweet was the former senator’s first in about two weeks that was not simply a link to his podcast, and comes as Trump is under fire for a series of tweets telling four progressive congresswomen to “go back to” other countries, although three were born in the U.S. and all are American citizens.

Numerous Democratic figures, including presidential candidates such as Sens. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersThe Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power Bernie Sanders: 'This is an election between Donald Trump and democracy' The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump stokes fears over November election outcome MORE (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenHillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns On 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 Democratic senators ask inspector general to investigate IRS use of location tracking service MORE (D-Mass.) and Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisHundreds of lawyers from nation's oldest African American sorority join effort to fight voter suppression Biden picks up endorsement from progressive climate group 350 Action 3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing MORE (D-Calif.), have condemned the tweets as racist.

Franken, who was elected in 2008, resigned in 2018 amid sexual harassment allegations from eight women. He has remained active on the social media platform since leaving the Senate.