Thousands of Britons, including dozens of members of Parliament, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, have signed a letter in support of four liberal Democratic congresswomen after President Donald Trump wrote in a series of tweets that they should "go back" to the countries they came from.
The letter, from British the anti-racism and anti-fascism group Hope not Hate, was addressed to Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Signatories said they were "disgusted" by Trump's attacks on the congresswomen and that they stood in solidarity with them.
"His blatant, unashamed racism has appalled people around the world," the letter said. "You embody the best of America. Its diversity is its strength. Thank you for showing the world that America can still provide leadership to be proud of, even when the White House has abdicated that role."
The letter was signed by nearly 14,000 people in its first 36 hours online, according to the Evening Standard.
"Love and solidarity will always trump hate," Khan, a frequent Trump critic who called the president a "global threat" ahead of Trump's visit to London last month, said in a post on Facebook.
"These progressive congresswomen, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley, represent hope for the future. Their home is America, but their message crosses borders."
Trump set off a firestorm Sunday when he wrote in a series of tweets that Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib, Omar and Pressley should go back to the "totally broken and crime infested places from which they came."
Of the congresswomen targeted in Trump's tweets, only one, Omar, was born outside the U.S. and all are U.S. citizens. Omar was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, according to The Washington Post. Her family fled civil war in the country when she was a child, and she became a U.S. citizen when she was a teenager, the newspaper reported.
Trump has defended his comments, telling reporters Monday that the congresswomen are "very unhappy" and "hate our country."
"I'm watching them. All they do is complain," Trump said. "So, all I'm saying is, if they want to leave, they can leave."
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