Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman to serve in the US Congress, along with her ‘squad’, has slammed President Donald Trump for falsely implying that she and the other freshman House Democrats were not natural-born American citizens.

On Sunday, Trump in a series of tweets said: “So interesting to see ‘progressive’ Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly and viciously telling the people of the US, the greatest and most powerful nation on earth, how our government is to be run.

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“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.

“These places need your help badly, you can’t leave fast enough. I’m sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements.”

….and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. 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….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2019

….it is done. These places need your help badly, you can’t leave fast enough. I’m sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2019

Although Donald Trump did not name anyone in his tweets, he had last week referenced Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Representative, when he was defending Pelosi. He further mentioned in his tweet that Pelosi would happily organise for the Congresswomen to leave the country.

The references to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – made a clear link. A week ago, Ms Pelosi clashed with the four women- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar, who came to the US as a refugee aged 12 – sometimes nicknamed ‘the squad’.

However, post the tweet episode, she has come to their defence on the social media platform.

I reject @realDonaldTrump’s xenophobic comments meant to divide our nation. Rather than attack Members of Congress, he should work with us for humane immigration policy that reflects American values. Stop the raids – #FamiliesBelongTogether!

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 14, 2019

In response to the President’s tweets, Rashida Tlaib, congresswoman for Michigan’s 13th district, tweeted calling for Trump’s impeachment. “Want a response to a lawless and complete failure of a president? He is the crisis. His dangerous ideology is the crisis. He needs to be impeached,” she wrote.

Ilhan Omar, the Congresswoman from Minnesota, told the president that he was “stoking white nationalism because you are angry that people like us are serving in Congress and fighting against your hate-filled agenda”.

And Presley, the first black woman to be elected to the Boston City Council and the Congresswoman from Massachusetts shared a screenshot of the President Donald Trump’s tweet, adding: “THIS is what racism looks like. WE are what democracy looks like. And we’re not going anywhere. Except back to DC to fight for the families you marginalize and vilify everyday.”

Ocasio-Cortez, who was born to a Puerto Rican family, also took to Twitter on Sunday night, said that the “the country where I ‘come from’ and the country we all swear to, is the United States”.

Mr. President, the country I “come from,” & the country we all swear to, is the United States.

But given how you’ve destroyed our border with inhumane camps, all at a benefit to you & the corps who profit off them, you are absolutely right about the corruption laid at your feet. https://t.co/HLKQCotR8T

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 14, 2019

You are angry because you can’t conceive of an America that includes us. You rely on a frightened America for your plunder.

You won’t accept a nation that sees healthcare as a right or education as a #1 priority, especially where we’re the ones fighting for it.

Yet here we are.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 14, 2019

But you know what’s the rub of it all, Mr. President?

On top of not accepting an America that elected us, you cannot accept that we don’t fear you,either.

You can’t accept that we will call your bluff & offer a positive vision for this country. And that’s what makes you seethe.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 14, 2019

Trump’s tweets came after a group of Democrats, who are women of colour, testified last week in front of a House Oversight and Reform committee hearing, explaining what they saw during their tour of the facilities housing migrants amid a border crisis.

Omar is the first Somali-American, the first naturalized citizen from Africa, the first non-white woman elected from Minnesota and one of the first two Muslim women (along with Tlaib) to serve in Congress.

Democrats candidates for Presidential nominations, including Bernie Sanders, have also condemned the tweet episode from the President and called Donald Trump, a racist, “When I call the president a racist, this is what I’m talking about.. We must stand together for justice and dignity towards all.”

When I call the president a racist, this is what I’m talking about

We must stand together for justice and dignity towards all. https://t.co/lweeJk7NoF

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 14, 2019