Pramila Jayapal: Trump Tweets 'Incite Hatred Against Muslims'

SHORELINE, WA – U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal spoke out Wednesday morning about a series of tweets from a racist group that President Donald Trump retweeted. The videos Trump shared allegedly show Muslims attacking Christians. The anti-Muslim Britain First political party originally posted the videos on Twitter.

Jayapal, a Democrat, has been critical of Trump since he took office, but on Wednesday she directly accused the president of inciting violence against a minority group.

"Today, President Trump used his platform to incite hatred against Muslims - our friends and neighbors and co-workers all across America - by spreading the propaganda of an extremist group.

"This is who he is," she tweeted.

The authenticity of the videos is in dispute. Responding to questions about the president's tweets, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday, "Whether it's a real video, the threat is real."

Jayapal founded Hate Free Zone, which emerged after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to advocate for immigrant rights.

As of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jayapal was the only Puget Sound representative to confront Trump's tweets. U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray were using Twitter to speak out against the Republican tax cut proposal.

Image by Andrew Harnik/Associated Press