President Trump on Monday defended his tweets suggesting that four Democratic members of Congress “go back” to the countries they came from by assailing one, Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, for what he said were remarks she had made about Al Qaeda.

“I am watching them, all they do is complain, so all I’m saying is if they want to leave they can leave,” Mr. Trump said before launching into a broad attack on Ms. Omar, who was born in Somalia but is a naturalized United States citizen.

Here’s a fact check.

What Mr. Trump Said

“I look at Omar, I don’t know, I never met her. I hear the way she talks about Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda has killed many Americans. She said you can hold your chest out, you can — when I think of America, when I think of Al Qaeda I can hold my chest out.”



“When I hear the hatred they have for Israel and the love they have for enemies like Al Qaeda, then you know what?”



“A politician that hears somebody, where we’re at war with Al Qaeda, and sees somebody talking about how great Al Qaeda is.”

False.

Mr. Trump was referring to — and grossly distorting — remarks Ms. Omar made during a 2013 interview on a local PBS television show when she was a community activist.

Nowhere in the interview does she proclaim “love” for Al Qaeda or “how great” the terrorist group is. In fact, Ms. Omar repeatedly noted that Al Qaeda and Al Shabab had committed “evil” acts and “atrocities” and were “taking part in terror” around the world.