Despite criticism from Democrats that his comments about the four minority congresswomen are racist, Trump went on a 20-minute diatribe about them, saying they were welcome to leave the country if they do not like his policies on issues such as immigration and defending Israel.
Trump tweeted on the weekend that the four progressive representatives, known as "the squad" - Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Ohio - should "go back" where they came from, even though all are US citizens and three are US-born.
The aim, one source close to Trump said, was to make Democrats look as far left as possible to moderate voters as he girds for a tough re-election battle in November 2020.
"He is trying to make them the face of the Democratic Party as we move closer into the 2020 cycle and he's trying to highlight them as a fringe crowd as much as possible so it turns off your middle-of-the-road voters," the source said.
As Trump recounted past comments made by Omar - who was born in Somalia and emigrated to the United States as a child - the crowd began chanting: "Send her back!"
"Tonight I have a suggestion for the hate-filled extremists who are constantly trying to tear our country down. They never have anything good to say. That's why I say: 'Hey, if they don't like it, let them leave. Let them leave,'" Trump said.
Trump spent about 20 percent of his freewheeling 90-minute-long speech criticizing the four lawmakers, eliciting choruses of "Booo!" from the crowd, which he praised for its enthusiasm.
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