WASHINGTON _ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was silent Monday as President Donald Trump continued to assail four women members of Congress he tweeted should "go back" to the countries they came from.
Three of the four women whom Trump was apparently targeting were born in the United States and are all four are U.S. citizens.
Asked for reaction, Robert Steurer, a spokesman for the Kentucky Republican, said Monday that "If the leader comments, we'll make sure you get it." McConnell traditionally speaks at the start of each Senate session. The Senate is to convene Monday at 3 p.m. EDT.
McConnell has been adverse to publicly weigh in on Trump's twitter habits, though last fall, he reportedly called Trump to tell him that his tweeted criticism of Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, was not helpful for the confirmation process.
Virtually no congressional Republicans have criticized Trump.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, tweeted late Sunday that Trump was "wrong to say any American citizen, whether in Congress or not, has any 'home' besides the U.S."
But, he added, "I just as strongly believe non-citizens who abuse our immigration laws should be sent home immediately, & Reps who refuse to defend America should be sent home 1{020," referring to Election Day.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, who golfed with Trump on Saturday along with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, said in a Fox & Friends interview Monday that Trump should "aim higher" and focus on the members' politics.
But addressing Trump personally, he said, "Mr. President you're right about their policies, you're right about where they'll take the country."
The latest Trump tweets came as the four newly-elected members have tussled openly with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi, a California Democrat, sharply condemned the tweets as "xenophobic" and charged that they are "meant to divide our nation."
She said Monday that the House will take up a resolution condemning "these disgusting attacks" and called on Republicans to "join us in condemning the president's xenophobic tweets."
Trump began his torrent of criticism Sunday morning, tweeting that the "'Progressive Democrat Congresswomen" should stop criticizing the government and "go back" to where they came from, suggesting that they "originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe."
He never referred to them by name, but added that they should "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it is done."
He continued Monday, asking via Twitter when the "Radical Left Congresswomen" would apologize "to our Country, the people of Israel and even to the Office of the President, for the foul language they have used, and the terrible things they have said."
Trump did not name the women but Democrats assume he is referring to Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley, D-Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib D-Michigan _ all of whom were elected to Congress in November 2018 and have emerged as highly visible, outspoken members of the House.
All were born in the U.S., but Omar, who was born in Somalia and grew up in a Kenyan refugee camp before immigrating to the United States.
McConnell kicked off his 2020 re-election campaign in April with a video that makes it clear he is running for another term as closely tied to Trump as he can get. The three-minute ad touts his success at delivering two Supreme Court justices to Trump and includes footage of Trump hailing the Senate Majority Leader as a "rock-ribbed Kentucky leader."
Trump returned the favor to McConnell last week, voicing support for "our great Kentucky senator" after Democrat Amy McGrath announced her candidacy.
"Why would Kentucky ever think of giving up the most powerful position in Congress, the Senate Majority Leader, for a freshman Senator with little power in what will hopefully be the minority party," Trump asked via Twitter.
