Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioGOP lawmakers distance themselves from Trump comments on transfer of power McConnell pushes back on Trump: 'There will be an orderly transition' Graham vows GOP will accept election results after Trump comments MORE (R-Fla.) is criticizing news outlets, reporters and a congressman for statements including allegations of racism against the late Sen. John McCain John Sidney McCainAnalysis: Biden victory, Democratic sweep would bring biggest boost to economy The Memo: Trump's strengths complicate election picture Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' MORE (R-Ariz.), as 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 faces widespread condemnation for a tweet in which he told four minority congresswomen to "go back" to where they came from.

Rubio said on Twitter on Friday that even when Republicans respond to racism, "they are called racists."

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His tweet was in response to a tweet by Rep. David Cicilline David Nicola CicillineClark rolls out endorsements in assistant Speaker race Races heat up for House leadership posts The folly of Cicilline's 'Glass-Steagall for Tech' MORE (D-R.I.), who said he missed the "days when Republicans stood up to racism" with a video of McCain in 2008 disagreeing with a woman who said she could not trust then-presidential candidate Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaObama warns of a 'decade of unfair, partisan gerrymandering' in call to look at down-ballot races Quinnipiac polls show Trump leading Biden in Texas, deadlocked race in Ohio Poll: Trump opens up 6-point lead over Biden in Iowa MORE because she believed him to be an "Arab."

Rubio's tweet criticized Teen Vogue, The New York Times, Rep. John Lewis John LewisTrump to pay respects to Ginsburg at Supreme Court Democrats urge Biden to resist filibuster, court-packing calls Rep. Bill Pascrell named chair of House oversight panel MORE (D-Ga.), and reporters Ezra Klein and Don Lemon Don Carlton LemonCNN's Don Lemon: 'Blow up the entire system' remark taken out of context CNN's Lemon: 'We're going to have to blow up the entire system' if Democrats win back White House, Senate Scaramucci to Lemon: Trump 'doubling down' on downplaying virus 'should scare' viewers MORE.

Yet even when they do they are called racists



Teen Vogue said that response from McCain was “patently Islamaphobic”



He was also accused of:

-“racially tinged attack”by @nytimes

-“running crypto-racist ads” by Ezra Klein

-“sowing the seeds of hatred & division” by Rep. Lewis https://t.co/BuqnvwKyrz pic.twitter.com/yxkh9v22td — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 19, 2019

Cicilline responded to Rubio's tweet on Friday by invoking a criticism Rubio had toward Trump during the 2016 GOP presidential primary, writing Friday, "I liked you better when you called the President a 'con artist.' Now you’re just helping his con, Senator."

A CNN spokesperson told The Hill that Lemon was simply asking a question, not criticizing the Arizona Republican.

“Don Lemon was merely posing a question to his followers in regards to McCain’s position that he put out at that point in time in 2008,” the spokesperson said. “He was not making a statement about Senator McCain.”

Lemon on his program this week also highlighted McCain's past statements in a segment critical of Republicans' handling of Trump supporters' "send her back" chant referring to 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.).

"Remember the words of the late Senator John McCain in the midst of a hard-fought 2008 presidential campaign when some of his supporters said they were afraid of then-candidate Barack Obama," Lemon said before playing clips including the one tweeted by Cicilline.

"If you really disagree, then you just shut it down."



CNN's @DonLemon reacts to President Trump's claim he was unhappy that his rally crowd broke out into chants of “send her back” as he denigrated a Democratic lawmaker — though he waited about 13 seconds as the chant continued. pic.twitter.com/Mg2ISjBTZp — CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) July 19, 2019

A spokesperson for Lewis declined to comment. The Hill has reached out for comment from The New York Times; Condé Nast, which owns Teen Vogue; and Vox, where Klein is an editor.

Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Hillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Key Democrat opposes GOP Section 230 subpoena for Facebook, Twitter, Google MORE (R-S.C.) made similar remarks Thursday, tweeting, "If you are a Republican nominee for President — or President — you will be accused of being a racist."

The House this week voted to condemn the Trump tweets as racist. The vote was largely along party lines, with four Republicans and one Independent voting with the Democrats to condemn the president's remarks.

In the tweets in question, Trump suggested that Democratic Reps. 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 (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), 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 (Mich.) and 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 (Mass.), all of whom are women of color, should "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came." Three of the women were born in the U.S., and Omar came to the country as a refugee from Somalia.

Updated: 1:20 p.m.