Virginia state legislator says he disrupted Trump Jamestown speech because of his ‘racism’
A Muslim Virginia state legislator on Tuesday interrupted President Trump and shouted “you can’t send us back” as the president delivered remarks at an event in Jamestown, Va., celebrating 400 years of representative democracy.
“You can’t send us back, Virginia is our home,” Ibraheem Samirah, a lawmaker who represents the 86th District in the Virginia House of Delegates, shouted near the beginning of Trump’s speech.
“Mr. President, you can’t send us back, Virginia is our home!”
Protester holding “Deport Hate” and “Reunite My Family” signs interrupts Pres. Trump’s remarks at Jamestown 400th anniversary celebration. https://t.co/JsAo4rT8TM pic.twitter.com/VeGvo5WjQP
— ABC News (@ABC) July 30, 2019
{mosads}Samirah proceeded to face the audience while brandishing a sign reading “go back to your corrupted home,” “deport hate” and “reunite my family.” He was escorted away by security as people in the crowd repeatedly chanted “Trump.”
Trump, who regularly denounces protesters at campaign rallies, did not address the latest demonstration.
Samirah said moments later on Twitter that he disrupted Trump’s speech because “nobody’s racism and bigotry should be excused for the sake of being polite.”
“The man is unfit for office and unfit to partake in a celebration of democracy, representation, and our nation’s history of immigrants,” wrote.
I just disrupted the @realDonaldTrump speech in Jamestown because nobody’s racism and bigotry should be excused for the sake of being polite. The man is unfit for office and unfit to partake in a celebration of democracy, representation, and our nation’s history of immigrants. pic.twitter.com/0okD7eRVer
— Delegate Ibraheem Samirah (@IbraheemSamirah) July 30, 2019
The demonstration came amid a month in which Trump has targeted several minority lawmakers, saying that they come from districts that are “infested” with crime. He most recently attacked Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), saying the Baltimore-area district he represents is a “rodent-infested mess.”
The president also appeared at a campaign rally in North Carolina earlier this month in which the audience started chanting “send her back” after he targeted Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), a vocal Trump critic who was born in Somalia and came to the U.S. as a refugee. Trump has since said that he disagreed with the audience’s behavior.
Trump’s attendance at the 400th Anniversary of the First Representative Legislative Assembly on Tuesday sparked outrage from many lawmakers in Virginia. The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus announced that its members would boycott the festivities over Trump’s participation.
“The commemoration of the birth of this nation and its democracy will be tarnished unduly with the participation of the president, who continues to make degrading comments toward minority leaders, promulgate policies that harm marginalized communities, and use racist and xenophobic rhetoric,” the group said Monday, adding that “it is impossible to ignore the emblem of hate and disdain” that Trump represents.
Virginia House and Senate Democrats had also vowed to boycott the Jamestown events if he attended.
Sabirah drew criticism during his General Assembly campaign earlier this year after old social media posts in which he fiercely criticized Israel were resurfaced by his opponent. Sabirah, who is Palestinian American, apologized for the messages and claimed he was the victim of a “smear campaign,” according to The Washington Post.
—Updated at 3:20 p.m.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.