The mayor of a North Carolina city where President Trump held his rally Wednesday denounced attendees’ “send her back” chant.
Mayor P.J. Connelly of Greenville, N.C., said in a statement Thursday that he was “extremely disappointed and disheartened” by chant, which referred to Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).
“I am extremely disappointed and disheartened by the chant that took place at the President’s rally last night,” Connelly said in a statement. “Greenville is more than just a city. It is our home. It is a diverse place – a place of compassion and acceptance. An inclusive place where everyone, regardless of race, religion or political beliefs, is welcome.”{mosads}
Connelly added that the chant did not reflect the city he knows.
“Hate will never have a place in our community,” he said. “The behavior that was on display last night is not reflective of the Greenville I know and love.”
The crowd chanted “send her back” about Omar, who came to the U.S. as a refugee from Somalia, after Trump criticized her during the rally.
“She looks down with contempt on the hard-working Americans saying that ignorance is pervasive in many parts of this country,” he said before the chanting.
On Thursday, the president tried to distance himself from the chant, saying “I was not happy with it. I disagree with it.”
The incident follows a series of tweets in which Trump suggested that Omar and other progressive congresswomen should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”
The remark, directed at four women of color, was condemned as racist in a resolution passed by the House mostly along party lines this week.