http://syn2.thecanadianpress.com:8080/mrss/feed/fcf7391a2f354311807f0501c16bde6a MSN - AP World Copyright © 2010-2018 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved. http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Sun, 06 Jul 2025 22:10:51 +0000 http://syn2.thecanadianpress.com:8080/mrss/feed/fcf7391a2f354311807f0501c16bde6a/a20f78d6d0a446c286d3817e0b17370e Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says President Donald Trump is "not a racist" after Trump tweeted over the weekend that four congresswomen of color should return to their native countries. All of the congresswomen are American citizens. (July 16) a20f78d6d0a446c286d3817e0b17370e Tue, 16 Jul 2019 20:33:17 +0000 RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY SHOTLIST: ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLYWashington - 16 July 20191. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader:"There's been a lot of discussion about the events of the last couple of days so I'd like to address it myself. I think there's been a consensus that political rhetoric has really gotten way way overheated all across the political spectrum. We've heard facilities on the U.S. border called 'concentration camps.' We've seen the far left throw accusations of racism at everyone, anyone who disagrees with them on anything including the Speaker of the House." ++WHITE FLASH++2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader:"I think everybody ought to tone down their rhetoric. We have examples of that across the ideological spectrum in the country. All across it. Everyone ought to tone down their rhetoric and we ought to move back to talking about the issues." Reporter: "But you stop short of calling these comments racist."Sen. Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader:"Look. I'm sorry?" Reporter: "You've stopped but you've stopped short of calling his comments racist." Sen. Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader:"Well, the president not a racist...the President's not a racist. And I think the tone of all of this is not good for the country but it's coming from all different ideological points of view - that's the point. To single out any segment of this I think is a mistake."++WHITE FLASH++3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader:"My response is I haven't heard Leader McConnell say a thing about what Trump did. He should be doing that before he talks about other people. He has an obligation as Republican leader to address the awful and despicable comments of President Trump and we've only heard silence from him." ++WHITE FLASH++4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader:"I think what President Trump did was just despicable, to appeal to the worst in human instincts,  to divide America is not what any president has done. We have seen other presidents make these kinds of appeals a little bit sub rosa. No one has been so boldly overt in the appeal to bigotry as President Trump. And I think it's very bad for the country." STORYLINE: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says President Donald Trump is "not a racist" after Trump tweeted over the weekend that four congresswomen of color should return to their native countries. All of the congresswomen are American citizens. McConnell said at a news conference Tuesday that political rhetoric has gotten "way, way overheated across the political spectrum." He pointed to Democratic comments, saying "we've seen the far left throw accusations of racism at everyone." He also took a mild swipe at Trump, saying everyone "from the president to the speaker to the freshmen members of the House" should take a lesson from the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who said he attacked ideas, not people. Pressed by reporters as to whether he thought the president is a racist, McConnell said: "the president is not a racist." In turn, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters, "I haven't heard Leader McConnell say a thing about what Trump did. He should be doing that." Senator Schumer said, "I think what President Trump did was just despicable to appeal to the worst in human instincts --  to divide America is not what any president has done. He said, "No one has been so boldly overt in the appeal to bigotry as President Trump." =========================================================== Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says President Donald Trump is "not a racist" after Trump tweeted over the weekend that four congresswomen of color should return to their native countries. All of the congresswomen are American citizens. (July 16) McConnell says Trump 'is not a racist'