Stephen Colbert says racism is Trump’s ‘brand’ in scathing video

Comedian Stephen Colbert has said racism is Donald Trump’s “brand” after American politicians condemned the president for racist tweets directed at four congresswomen of colour.

“Over the weekend the president bellied up to the bigot buffet with a bunch of racist tweets aimed at four congresswomen of colour known in Washington as ‘the Squad,’” Colbert began, speaking about Trump on his show.

“That statement of Trump’s is old-school racism, minus the school. It’s one of the most terrible things Donald Trump could possibly say to an immigrant, other than ‘Will you marry me?’”

“You have said a lot of racist things,” Colbert pointed out, directing his vitriol at Trump.

You demanded the execution of the Central Park Five – who were innocent.

You said Barack Obama was from Kenya.

You wanted to ban all Muslims.

You said Mexicans were murderers.

Racism is your brand.

He continued with a cheeky anecdote about KFC: “It’s like Colonel Sanders saying, 'I don’t have a finger-lickin' bone in my body.'”

Colbert’s words come after the US House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to condemn Trump’s tweets telling four Democratic congresswomen of colour to “go back” to their countries of origin.

The vote was 240-187 and was solidly opposed by Republicans. It came after Trump and top congressional Republicans denied he is a racist and urged GOP lawmakers to oppose the Democratic measure.

The resolution says the House “strongly condemns” Trump’s "racist comments that have legitimised and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of colour".

The president doubled down on his comments about the four congresswoman, later writing on Twitter:

“The Democrat congresswomen have been spewing some of the most vile, hateful, and disgusting things ever said by a politician in the House or Senate, & yet they get a free pass and a big embrace from the Democrat Party.

Horrible anti-Israel, anti-USA, pro-terrorist & public shouting of the F... word, among many other terrible things, and the petrified Dems run for the hills.

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