Muslim Congresswoman-elect says Trump is 'racist'

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) - U.S. President Donald Trump is racist, according to congresswoman-elect Rashida Tlaib.

"Look, I truly believe he is racist, and that's probably controversial, he is," Tlaib told The Hill online news outlet in an interview Thursday.

"It's in his policies, it's in his words, and the fact of the matter is that he's still our president," she said. "But it doesn't matter, I'm going to hold him accountable.”

Tlaib, along with Minnesota's Ilhan Omar, will be sworn in next month as the first two Muslim-Americans females in Congress. Tlaib will also become the first female Palestinian-American in Congress.

Trump has been criticized for using racially charged rhetoric during his tenure in office.

A prominent congresswoman, Sheila Jackson-Lee, used Twitter to highlight Trump’s "dogwhistle racism" after he demeaned three black reporters.

Trump has also attacked NFL players, and went after NBA star Lebron James on Twitter, insulting his intelligence.

Tlaib said she does not know what is going on in Trump's head, and many people in Washington are confused about his comments on Twitter.

"There’s so much, even when I watch national media outlets, it’s baffling because we’re all guessing like what is in his mind, what do you think that tweet was about," Tlaib said.

Fifty-five percent of American voters believe race relations have soured under Trump, according to a survey in August.