House Democrat leaders released a statement of “unity” Thursday evening in hopes of tamping down the infighting within the caucus, with some Democrats opting to delete some of their more “controversial” tweets that added fuel to the fire.
Leaders from both wings of the party – including the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Blue Dog Coalition, and the New Democrats Coalition – released a joint statement declaring their unification and affirming their belief that the Democrat Party is a “diverse, robust and passionate family” that has a “shared mission.”
It reads in part:
House Democrats are a diverse, robust and passionate family. We love our country and are dedicated to making life better for everyday Americans. At times, there may be different perspectives on the way forward. That is a hallmark of the legislative process
We will remain clear-eyed with respect to our unity of purpose,” it continued. “Every single voice within the House Democratic Caucus is an important one. We have a shared mission. Onward and upward. Together, House Democrats will deliver For The People.
The declaration follows last week’s contentious closed-door caucus meeting, during which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) berated progressive members for publicly bashing moderate members of the caucus on social media.
“So, again, you got a complaint? You come and talk to me about it,” Pelosi told her Democrat colleagues, according to Politico. “But do not tweet about our members and expect us to think that that is just ok.”
While some say she was taking direct aim at “Squad” ringleader Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrats in the room viewed it as a direct jab at Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), who called the Problem Solvers Caucus the “Child Abuse Caucus” on Twitter last month.
Since when did the Problem Solvers Caucus become the Child Abuse Caucus? Wouldn’t they want to at least fight against contractors who run deplorable facilities? Kids are the only ones who could lose today.
— Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) June 27, 2019
That tweet has since been deleted, seemingly as a sign of good faith. He was not the only prominent figure to delete controversial tweets, either.
Last week, the official Twitter account for the House Democrats took aim at Ocasio-Cortez’s aide, Saikat Chakrabarti, who essentially accused an LGBT Native American congresswoman of enabling racism for not supporting the ultra-progressive wing’s immigration bill.
House Democrats tweeted:
Who is this guy and why is he explicitly singling out a Native American woman of color?
Her name is Congresswoman Davids, not Sharice.
She is a phenomenal new member who flipped a red seat blue.
KeepHerNameOutOfYourMouth. pic.twitter.com/k4sV5hsbQl
— House Democrats (@HouseDemocrats) July 13, 2019
That has been deleted as well.
The Democrat Party’s latest scramble for unity can be attributed to President Trump, who seemingly wanted the caucus to rally behind the far-left members of the “Squad.”
“The Dems were trying to distance themselves from the four ‘progressives,’ but now they are forced to embrace them,” Trump tweeted Monday.
“That means they are endorsing Socialism, hate of Israel and the USA! Not good for the Democrats!” he added:
The Dems were trying to distance themselves from the four “progressives,” but now they are forced to embrace them. That means they are endorsing Socialism, hate of Israel and the USA! Not good for the Democrats!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 15, 2019
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