Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) slammed President Trump on Wednesday for calling former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman a “dog.”
“I don’t know of anything that has been more troubling to me that this president has done than refer to a professional woman as a dog,” Clyburn told The State newspaper.
Clyburn, the No. 3 House Democrat and former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), condemned the comment as racist.
“We know the history of this country. We know the history of the people of color in this country. And there are certain things you ought to have enough respect for in our history not to say certain things about, and to certain people,” he said.
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), a member of the CBC, also called Trump’s comments racist. Wilson tweeted Wednesday in response to Trump’s tweet about Manigault Newman, “@realDonaldTrump There are many names we can call you: Racist. Hater. Traitor. Bigot. Misogynist. Liar.”
Trump’s derogatory comment came amid efforts by the White House to tamp down criticism stemming from claims in Manigault Newman’s new book, “Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the Trump White House,” detailing her time in the White House.
Manigault Newman, who kicked off her press tour for the memoir last week, revealed a number of explosive claims about the Trump administration, including that Trump had a history of using the N-word.
On Tuesday, the former aide released a tape which appears to show several other aides discussing an alleged tape in which Trump used the racial slur.
Trump’s reelection campaign reportedly has hired attorney Charles Harder in its arbitration fight against Manigault Newman. Harder represented wrestler Hulk Hogan in a sex tape lawsuit against the now-defunct Gawker website.