Tlaib apologizes over Trump slam, but only for causing 'distraction'

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Rashida Tlaib calls for the impeachment of President Donald Trump

Freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who last week made expletive-laced remarks about impeaching President Trump, characterized the comments Tuesday as “a distraction,” which she reasoned was the only cause for apology.

Less than a week after the comments were made, Tlaib, the newly sworn-in Democratic lawmaker from Michigan, described the situation as having been a learning experience, NBC News reported.

"What I can tell you is I am a person that is authentically me," Tlaib said, according to the outlet. "I’m very passionate about fighting for all of us, and the use of that language, you know, was a teachable moment for me.

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“And I understand I am a member of Congress, and I don’t want anything that I do or say distract us. And that’s the only thing I will apologize for, is that it was a distraction," she continued.

Tlaib, who was sworn into the 116th Congress on Thursday, was videotaped that night promising to impeach the president.

“People love you and you win,” the video showed Tlaib telling supporters. “And when your son looks at you and says, ‘Momma, look you won. Bullies don’t win.’ And I said, ‘Baby, they don’t, because we’re gonna go in there and we’re gonna impeach the motherf***er.’”

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Tlaib on Tuesday also defended “a right to be this passionate, this upset,” according to NBC.

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"But, however, we have a course that we have to stick to, and nothing I should say should distract us from that," she said, adding that the ongoing partial government should be the prominent issue.

In response to her initial remarks, Trump labeled them “disgraceful” and ones that both “dishonored herself and dishonored her family.”

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.