President Donald Trump was back attacking four congresswomen of color on Wednesday, and the crowd at his rally in North Carolina was loving it.

He was following up on his racist tweet saying the women should “go back” to where they came from, though all of them – of course – are citizens, and three were born in the U.S. He went after Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who came to the U.S. as a child after fleeing Somalia with her family.

He called them “hate-filled extremists.” He said they “never have anything good to say.” He said they “hate our country.” He said, “That’s why I say, 'Hey if you don’t like it, let ‘em leave, let ‘em leave.'”

He called them out by name and with Omar the crowd began chanting, “Send her back! Send her back!”

The president did not discourage them.

So who REALLY hates America?

He did not castigate them.

Trump didn’t realize – or worse, maybe he did – that the only “hate-filled extremists” in the arena were Trump himself and those chanting “send her back.”

Because you condemn fellow citizens for utilizing their free speech and their right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances,” as is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, then you’re the one who hates America.

And what you believe in instead is fascism.

We’ve seen that before.

More than 400,000 American service members gave their lives fighting fascism during World War II. Tens of millions died worldwide, including millions of civilians. Millions of innocent victims murdered in the Holocaust.

Is it ignorance or intent?

Is it really possible for a U.S. president to be so ignorant as to stand before a crowd of U.S. citizens shouting “Send her back! Sent her back!” about a U.S. citizen and not hear the echo of a poem that we've all heard by World War II German Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemöller?

The one that goes:

First they came for the Jews

and I did not speak out

because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists

and I did not speak out

because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists

and I did not speak out

because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me

and there was no one left

to speak out for me

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.