Thursday on MSNBC’s “MTP Daily,” anchor Chuck Todd said President Donald Trump’s attacks on Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) “conveniently came as the economy became the story because it was showing signs of slowing.”

Todd said, “An economic downturn could spell disaster for President Trump in 2020. So as the economy threatens to take a dive, President Trump dives right back into the culture wars. Now Israel is denying entry to two American members of Congress after public pressure from the president.”

He continued, “Today the president of the United States urged another leader of another country to ban members of Congress from entering that country. They happen to be Muslim members of Congress and hours later Israel obliged announcing that Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, both members of the so-called Squad, both Muslim, both critics of Israel’s government, would not be allowed to visit. That decision came shortly after President Trump called on the Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, who has got his own re-election issue going on right now, to ban Tlaib and Omar saying they, quote, ‘hate Israel and all Jewish people. They have been his target.”

He added, “The president’s attacks on Omar and Tlaib conveniently came as the economy became the story because it was showing signs of slowing. President is lashing out at the Fed. He’s lashing out at the press after what was a brutal day of headlines involving the health of the economy, particularly due to his policies in China and it potentially imperils one of the most important pitches that he has on the campaign trail.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN