African-American Dehumanized By Rashida Tlaib Hits Back

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) drew criticism earlier this week when she called her Republican colleague Mark Meadows a “racist” for asking an African-American Trump administration official to refute Michael Cohen’s claim that the president is racist. (Daily Wire)
 

“Just because someone has a person of color, a black person, working for them does not mean they aren’t racist,” Tlaib said Sunday, in comments clearly referencing Patton’s appearance at the hearing. “And it is insensitive, and… the fact that someone would use a prop, a black woman, in this chamber, in this committee [pausing to sigh] is alone racist in itself.”

WATCH: This exchange at the Cohen hearing says so much about America right now https://t.co/uXNCHP1POx pic.twitter.com/hFO2TKe2El

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 27, 2019

Though Tlaib temporarily backtracked at the hearing after getting pushback from Meadows and Cummings, she has since appeared on television doubling down on her comments and suggesting that it was “hurtful” to her for Meadows to invite a black woman to vouch for Trump.

Speaking to MSNBC about her much-criticized comments, Tlaib said she “really” does “stand by” her argument that it is “racist” to use a black woman as “a prop,” thus refusing to accept the idea that Patton was there willingly and even, as Patton has emphasized since, enthusiastically.

Tlaib went on to describe Patton’s presence as “hurtful” and “very disrespectful” to her. “I wanted to be heard and seen, and for me … watching this young woman stand up behind Congressman Meadows in that way was very hurtful and it was very disrespectful,” she told the network.
 

Rep. @RashidaTlaib: “I really do stand by” saying it was “racist” to use a black woman as a “prop.”

“I wanted to be heard and seen, and for me … watching this young woman stand up behind Congressman Meadows in that way was very hurtful and it was very disrespectful.” pic.twitter.com/ozgOd6cnSQ

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) March 1, 2019