Montana's congressional delegation weighs in on Trump 'go back' tweet

The members of Montana's congressional delegation have jumped into the controversial Twitter war started by a tweet President Donald Trump made Sunday telling four progressive congresswomen they should "go back" to the countries they are from.

And some are raising controversies of their own.

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., completely backed Trump in a tweet of his own Monday.

"Montanans are sick and tired of listening to anti-American, anti-Semite, radical Democrats trash our country and our ideals. This is America. We're the greatest country in the world. 

"I stand with @realdonaldtrump." he tweeted.

A string of responses followed his tweet, including, from Twitter user Roberta @rdrewmt. "While you clearly stand with the birther in chief, you certainly don't speak for this MT voter."

The official Montana Republican Party Twitter account response, "Yes, we are! Thank you for standing up to these anti-American, radicalized, socialist Democrats! #MAGA #mtpol," also drew some criticism.

Twitter user 406Shan1 @406Shan1 responded: "No we aren't! This is the height of racism and is not what our country is founded on. If this is the what you believe, get your white hoods and get out of our state. We will vote you out of office. #racistMTSenator #RacistPresident #dumpdaines2020."

Trump seemed to be weighing in on another controversy happening between Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in her attempt to quiet down a group of four first-term representatives known as "The Squad," particularly on calls to impeach Trump.

Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan have outspokenly worked on progressive agendas, such as the Green New Deal, universal health care, a $15 minimum wage and impeachment of Trump.

Trump's Sunday tweet said, "So interesting to see (Progressive) Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly ... and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how ... it is done. These places need your help badly, you can't leave fast enough. I'm sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!"

Ocasio-Cortez, the daughter of working-class Puerto Rican parents, was born and raised in the Bronx, New York.

Tlaib was born to working-class Palestinian parents in Detroit.

Pressley was born in Cincinnati and raised in Chicago, the only child of a working-class mother whose father was in jail much of her childhood.

Omar was born in Mogadishu, raised in Somalia and immigrated to the United States in 1992. She became a U.S. citizen in 2000 at age 17.

Numerous people have tweeted that Trump was referring to U.S.-born citizens when he tweeted their countries' governments are a catastrophe and the countries are broken and crime-infested.

Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., did not exactly endorse Trump's comment, but criticized The Squad's agendas. "Greg is concerned less about where extreme liberal Democrats are from and more about their socialist agenda for socialized medicine, open borders, and a national gun registry," a Gianforte spokesman told the Havre Daily. "Greg will continue standing against socialism and working to protect our Montana way of life."

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., however, quickly came out in criticism of the tweet.

"We should be able to disagree on policy and politics without devolving into divisive, hateful rhetoric. These comments were reprehensible and far beneath the office of the Presidency," Tester tweeted.

The Montana Democratic Party official Twitter account quickly tweeted in response to Daines' tweet.

"Montana Democrats believe in helping our neighbors and ensuring our children have the tools they need to succeed. We believe in working together and uniting - not dividing - our communities. Let's defeat @SteveDaines in 2020. #mtpol," the tweet reads.

Both Daines' and the Montana Republican tweets generated a series of responses, including from an opponent of Daines in the 2020 election, Helena Democratic Mayor Wilmot Collins, a Liberian refugee who fled the civil war there to the United States in 1994, joining his wife in Montana and becoming a U.S. citizen.

"I served this country for over 20 years in the U.S. Armed Forces. Does @SteveDaines think I should 'go back to where I came from' too? If you believe that we are better than this, consider joining our movement to defeat Senator Daines here ... ," Collins responded

A Montana legislator also weighed in, commenting on his getting a recommendation on a $14 million recommended judgment in a lawsuit over a internet trolling campaign.

Rep. Robert Ferris-Olson, D-Helena, represented real estate agent Tanya Gersh in her lawsuit against The Daily Stormer publisher Andrew Anglin.

Gersh, who is Jewish, and her family received hundreds of threats and abusive and anti-Semitic messages after Anglin posted comments about her.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah Lynch recommended  U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen award Gersh the $14 million.

Ferris-Olson tweeted from @RFO_MT .: "I'm a Dem. member of the Montana leg. Today, I helped pin a $14 mil. penalty on a Neo-Nazi.

"Meanwhile, Sen. Daines tweeted his support of Pres. Trump's racially motivated attacks.

"I know which of these two is a problem, so does Sen. Daines."