"Born and raised in Detroit": Rashida Tlaib not intimidated by Pres. Trump's racist tweets

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Rashida Tlaib says what the President said about four congresswomen to "go back" to their countries won't stop her from making noise in Washington or in her hometown, Detroit.

Tlaib was touring affordable tiny homes in Detroit where she was asked Monday about President Donald Trump's tweets on Sunday, referring to four freshman lawmakers when he said "Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it is done."

The four that Trump was referring to were Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Tlaib.

Tlaib's parents are Palestinian immigrants, and she's the oldest of their 14 children - and was born in Detroit. She and two of the other three women were all born in the United States. 

"I'm born and raised in Detroit, I'm not easily insulted. It just fuels my energy to fight back," Tlaib said. "I think we're all fierce women."

Omar is the only one born outside of the U.S. but has been a citizen since she was a child.

Even Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong ally of the President, urged him to stop the personal attacks.

"Don't get personal. Don't take the bait. This is not about a person, this about the country," Graham said in a TV interview.

President Trump was unbowed by criticism of his racist tweets against four U.S. congresswomen of color.

"If someone has a problem with country, if someone doesn't want to be in our country, they should leave," Trump said. 

"These are people who hate our country," Trump added.

Trump digs in on racist tweets against lawmakers, says ‘if you're not happy here, you can leave'

Then he returned to Twitter, where he demanded they apologize to the country.

"When will the radical left Congresswomen apologize to our country, the people of Israel and even to the Office of the President for the foul language they have used and the terrible things they have said," Trump said.

Tlaib said on Monday that the one who needs to apologize, is President Trump.

"I think the apology that needs to happen is from the President. He has disgraced this office," Tlaib said.

The four congresswomen have been making waves since they were sworn in as members of Congress in January, when Tlaib called for his impeachment in an op-ed and famously told a crowd of supporters "we're gonna impeach the mother***er."

There have also been rising tensions in the Democratic party as well, after Ocasio-Cortez accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of targeting women of color, though she doesn't believe the Speaker is racist.