Lieu to Fox’s Ingraham: I served in the military to defend your right to make racist statements

Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu (Calif.) on Thursday took aim at Fox News host Laura Ingraham’s lamentation that the “America we know and love doesn’t exist anymore” because of immigration, tweeting that he served in the military to defender her “right to make racist statements.”

“Dear Laura Ingraham: I served on active duty to defend your right to make racist statements,” Lieu wrote on Twitter.

“America is not a race or demographic,” he continued. “It’s a beautiful & bold idea, based on life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness. You @IngrahamAngle are no more American than I am or others are.”

Dear Laura Ingraham: I served on active duty to defend your right to make racist statements.

America is not a race or demographic. It’s a beautiful & bold idea, based on life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness. You @IngrahamAngle are no more American than I am or others are. https://t.co/Op7rnjak5o

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) August 9, 2018

Lieu’s comments came in response to remarks Ingraham made Wednesday, saying that “massive demographic changes have been foisted upon the American people,” and calling them “changes that none of us ever voted for and most of us don’t like.” 

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Ingraham’s comments sparked backlash from social media users who accused her of using racist and white nationalist rhetoric.

Conservative television host S.E. Cupp tweeted, “Speak for yourself, and every other last gasp of a dying gen, @IngrahamAngle. WE love this country’s diversity,” while Los Angeles Times reporter Matt Pearce called Ingraham’s remarks “The swan song of white nationalism.”

Ingraham also praised President Trump for his immigration policies, including his “zero tolerance” policy for individuals crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, a practice which led to thousands of migrant children being separated from their parents.

Lieu, a frequent critic of Trump and his immigration policies, was one of many lawmakers who pressured the Trump administration to reunite immigrant families separated under Trump’s policy.

Lieu served in the Air Force from 1995 to 1999 and has been in the Air Force Reserve since 2000.