Senate

Hawaii senators fire back at Sessions’ ‘island in the Pacific’ comment

by Rebecca Savransky 04/20/17 03:45 PM ET

Senators from Hawaii shot back at Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday after he said he was “amazed” a judge “on an island in the Pacific” could halt the president’s travel order.

“Hey Jeff Sessions, this #IslandinthePacific has been the 50th state for going on 58 years,” Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) tweeted.

“And we won’t succumb to your dog whistle politics.”

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) also fired back at the attorney general.

“Mr. Attorney General: You voted for that judge,” he tweeted.

“And that island is called Oahu. It’s my home. Have some respect.”

Sessions made the comments when asked during an interview on “The Mark Levin Show” about the status of the president’s travel order temporarily preventing people from six predominately Muslim nations and refugees from entering the United States.

“I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the president of the United States from what appears to be clearly his statutory and constitutional power,” Sessions said.

A federal judge in Hawaii last month placed a nationwide block on Trump’s travel order.