Piers Morgan has condemned President Trump over the chilling “send her back” chants at his rally last night, claiming the event “bordered on fascism” and that Trump’s rhetoric has now crossed the line to “overt racism”.
The journalist and broadcaster has been one of the most staunch defenders of Trump, who he considers to be a friend since they met on a celebrity version of The Apprentice.
But Morgan’s latest comments appear to mark a shift in his position on the president as he labelled the rally “vile, repellent, shameful, shocking, disturbing”.
The rally last night descended into chants of “send her back” as the crowd reacted to Trump’s comments about Muslim congresswoman, Ilhan Omar.
Speaking in North Carolina, Trump had been deriding four female Democrats who he described as “hate-filled extremists who are constantly trying to tear our country down”.
Today, Morgan argued the display of “racist rage” was “the most sickening moment of Trump’s presidency.”
“To actually watch and hear a large gathering of thousands of predominantly white Americans chanting such a blatant infamous racist trope about a democratically elected fellow American made me shudder,” said Morgan. “This should not be happening in modern America. And the fact Donald Trump is not just allowing it to happen, but actively encouraging it to happen, is an indefensible disgrace.”
Morgan called out Trump’s “overt racism”, adding that “what happened in North Carolina last night was not just racist-fueled demagoguery but bordered on fascism”.
President Trump stirred up racial flames at a rally Wednesday night.
Morgan did argue Omar is an “unashamed hard-core socialist with a radical progressive agenda” whose policies and statements should be critiqued.
But he added “Trump’s horrendous treatment of her now has gone way beyond normal political jousting and entered the realm of danger.”
“There’s no possible defence for such an outrageous racist attack on a young Muslim American congresswoman,” Morgan added.
“I urge President Trump to stop this dangerous nonsense immediately before the vile rhetoric is inevitably acted upon, with potentially devastating consequences.”
Trump’s jabs were aimed at the self-described ‘squad’ of four Democrats who have garnered attention since their arrival in January for their outspoken views and distaste for the president: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
All were born in the US except for Omar, who arrived there as a child after fleeing Somalia with her family.
She has been a US citizen longer than the First Lady, Melania Trump.