Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib called President Donald Trump the “racist-in-chief” on the House floor Wednesday afternoon.
The House of Representatives voted on articles of impeachment Wednesday against President Donald Trump following a Jan. 6 riot, when a group of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Tlaib called for Trump “to be impeached and removed immediately” shortly following the riot and continued her comments against the president on Wednesday.
“In Michigan’s 13th we proudly speak truth to power, even in the face of a racist-in-chief,” Tlaib said on the House floor. “Those who incited an attack on the people’s house do not get to talk about healing and unity. They have torn this country apart. They have stoked the fire and then handed the gasoline to Donald Trump. Dr. King once said: ‘True peace is not the absence of tension. It is in the presence of justice.'”
“Today, we must embody those words. And we must understand that peace must be centered in truth and action. We cannot sit, madam chair, sit idly by after a violent attempted coup and allow lies and hate continue. Today, we stand up for our constituents who continue to be harmed …” she continued, before her time expired.
WATCH:
Democratic Missouri Rep. Cori Bush also made comments against Trump on Wednesday, referring to him as “a white supremacist president who incited a white supremacist insurrection.” (RELATED: Maxine Waters: Trump ‘Is Capable Of Starting A Civil War’)
“The 117th Congress must understand that we have a mandate to legislate in defense of black lives. The first step in that process is to root out white supremacy starting with impeaching the white supremacist-in-chief. Thank you and I yield back,” Bush said.
WATCH:
There is a congressional rule barring lawmakers from accusing a sitting president of racism while on the floor. This particular rule was called into effect as recently as 2019, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi got into trouble for calling some of Trump’s tweets racist.
Pelosi’s comments resulted in a lengthy back-and-forth between House Democrats and Republicans, The Washington Post reported.