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DNC chair dismisses suggestion that ‘the Squad’ is liability for Democrats

Posted at 8:27 AM, Jul 18, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-18 11:13:31-04

Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Convention, said Thursday that he does not consider the four progressive congresswomen attacked by President Donald Trump this week a liability to the Democratic Party, calling the party’s “unity” the President’s “worst nightmare.”

“These four women, and everyone in our Democratic caucus, reflects the remarkable, rich diversity of the Democratic Party,” Perez told CNN’s John Berman on “New Day.” “Our diversity is our greatest strength, our unity is our greatest strength, and our unity is Donald Trump’s worst nightmare.”

Perez’s comments come after several Democrats told CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash that they have grown tired of the repeated headlines involving the four progressive congresswomen known as “the Squad” as the caucus tries to push its agenda. In conversations that took place before the President hosted a rally in North Carolina Wednesday night, where the crowds chanted “send her home” in reference to Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Democrats said they want to keep the spotlight on the issues that helped them take the House last year, not a fight with the President.

The latest headlines revolving around “the Squad” emerged following the President’s racist tweets aimed at Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Omar.

Across the ideological spectrum, Democrats sharply criticized the President for his comments, and House Democrats projected unity amid the attacks from Trump, voting for a resolution to condemn the President’s language.

“His tweet refocused everybody on exactly where the enemy is,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the co-chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

“I don’t feel a fracture,” Omar said in an interview with “CBS This Morning.” Ocasio-Cortez said during the same interview that there may be disagreements “from time to time,” but “that does not mean there is a fundamental fracture.”