Meet "The Squad" Of 4 Congresswomen Shaking Things Up In Washington
For those who have been following the news from Washington, D.C., this week, there's been a lot to take in. One recent event has taken the forefront among media headlines and political talking points over the past few days, and it's sparked a huge conversation surrounding President Donald Trump. If you're trying to be in-the-know about recent events, you may be wondering: Who is in "The Squad"? It's a group of congresswomen refusing to back down.
"The Squad" refers to four freshman Democratic congresswomen of color who have been outspoken about their progressive views and political opinions. These women consist of Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. Each congresswoman made history during the 2018 November midterm elections, with Pressley serving as Massachusetts' first Black congresswoman, Ocasio-Cortez defeating Rep. Joe Crowley, who held the seat for decades, and both Omar and Tlaib representing the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress.
Clearly, this group of politicians epitomizes #squadgoals, and believe it or not, that's apparently how they got their nickname. On Wednesday, July 17, Pressley appeared on CBS This Morning and talked about the origin of the nickname.
"Someone said, ‘Oh, you should do a hashtag or something #squadgoals’ and then it morphed into whole other thing," Pressley told CBS.
Even though Omar, Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley, and Tlaib might be the founders of "The Squad," that doesn't mean other people can't be included. While speaking to CBS This Morning, Pressley stated that being a part of their political clique is a lot easier than one might think. "The reality is anyone who is interested in building a more equitable and just world is a part of 'The Squad,'" Pressley said. So, there's room for new members.
These four women have made headlines since clinching their victories in November 2018, but tensions have escalated since July 14, when President Trump seemed to call out the Democratic congresswomen via Twitter and told them they should "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came." Although he never referred to "The Squad" by name, many social media users suspect he was referring to the four freshmen politicians. Elite Daily reached out to the White House for further comment on Trump's tweet at the time but did not hear back.
For the record, Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley, Omar, and Tlaib are all U.S. citizens, and three of them were born within U.S. borders. So, the four congresswomen took the stage on Monday, July 15, to address Trump's Twitter tirade with a powerful speech. During the news conference, Ocasio-Cortez shared a speech which detailed her experience visiting Washington, D.C., for the first time with her father. During her visit, the New York representative recalled her dad telling her that the Washington monuments belong to "all of us." Ocasio-Cortez then directed her speech to the young Americans impacted by Trump's words, where she stated that the United States belongs to them and she vowed to fix the problems plaguing the nation.
"No matter what the president says, this country belongs to you," Ocasio Cortez said. "And it belongs to everyone."
No matter what your feelings are on "The Squad," there's no denying that these four congresswomen are forces to be reckoned with. Keep fighting, ladies.
