President Donald Trump is facing criticism once again for taunting Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) over her Native American heritage.
On Sunday night, Trump said the 2020 presidential hopeful should have filmed a commercial “from Bighorn or Wounded Knee” in “full Indian garb”.
If Elizabeth Warren, often referred to by me as Pocahontas, did this commercial from Bighorn or Wounded Knee instead of her kitchen, with her husband dressed in full Indian garb, it would have been a smash! pic.twitter.com/D5KWr8EPan
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2019
Wounded Knee was one of the worst native massacres in US history.
The Washington Post notes:
One hundred years after U.S. soldiers killed and maimed hundreds of Sioux men, women and children at the Wounded Knee massacre, Congress formally apologized in 1990 by expressing its “deep regret on behalf of the United States.”
Ruth Hopkins, a Dakota/Lakota Sioux writer and tribal attorney, said the president’s jibe was “cold, callous and just plain racist”.
“+300 of my people were massacred at Wounded Knee. Most were women and children,” tweeted Hopkins. “This isn’t funny, it’s cold, callous, and just plain racist.”
+300 of my people were massacred at Wounded Knee. Most were women and children. This isn’t funny, it’s cold, callous, and just plain racist. pic.twitter.com/9xgnSUTp4k
— Ruth H. Hopkins (@RuthHHopkins) January 14, 2019
The president also repeated his “Pocahontas” jab, ignoring calls from politicians on both sides of the aisle, historians and Native American groups to stop using the name to attack the senator’s claims of American Indian heritage.
One user, a Lakota tribe member and army veteran, was also outraged by the president’s remarks:
Comrade Trump, Little BigHorn was a battle between warriors and soldiers.
Wounded Knee was a massacre of innocent Sioux women and children.
Pocahontas was raped by a white man when she was only 12 years old.
You. Are. A. Racist. Moron. 🖕🏾#RussianAssetInTheWhiteHouse 🇷🇺 https://t.co/kb9DqjnXwV
— Lakota Man (@LakotaMan1) January 14, 2019
Another said she was “angry and sickened” by Trump’s tweet:
As a Native person, Puyallup Tribe, I can't begin to tell you how angry and sickened I am by this tweet. When the hell will his racism stop??? And for anyone who laughs at his 'joke', a pox on your house. https://t.co/r0tmipo2Qf
— Storm Reyes (@StormReyes) January 14, 2019
Trump's joke was not only insulting, but vile. H references Wounded Knee, which was a massacre of Indian men, women and children that happened on December 29, 1890. Never Forgotten or Forgiven. I will not forget or forgive his words. https://t.co/r0tmipo2Qf
— Storm Reyes (@StormReyes) January 14, 2019
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