National Indian Gaming Association Denounces President Trump ‘Divisive’ Tweets

Posted on: July 18, 2019, 08:31h. 

Last updated on: July 18, 2019, 08:37h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) says President Donald Trump made “divisive comments” last Sunday to describe four female members of Congress.

Indian gaming Trump odds
President Donald Trump’s relationship with the National Indian Gaming Association has soured. (Image: Brendan Smialowski/Getty)

In several tweets, the president 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 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,” Trump said despite three of the women being born in America and all four being US citizens – the latter a requirement to serve in Congress.

NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. said in a rebuttal yesterday that Trump should be celebrating the diverse Congress – not condemning it.

“Urging certain groups to return to their countries of origin conjures up the dark images of this Nation’s past injustices and intolerance,” Stevens declared. “Today’s United States of America is better than our past.”

Trump vs. Native Americans

The 45th president of the United States hasn’t exactly been an ally to Native Americans.

Along with the NIGA’s opposition to Trump’s recent Twitter spat, the group designed to “protect and preserve the general welfare of tribes striving for self-sufficiency” has denounced his use of the Pocahontas name when referring to Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts).

Stevens says the way Trump uses the “historically respected” Pocahontas name is a racial slur towards the US senator. The NIGA says the president should not trivialize Pocahontas’ heroinism with “immature name calling.”

The NIGA and Trump are also at odds over federal legislation backed by Warren that seeks to bypass a tribe in Massachusetts’ need to gain approval from the US Department of the Interior to build a $1 billion casino. The president has deemed the bill a special interest statute that “doesn’t treat Native Americans equally.”

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe wants to build a casino resort in Taunton, but the DOI said last fall that it erred in taking 321 acres into trust, and therefore the Native American group doesn’t have the right to operate a casino there.

2020 Odds

Trump continued his attack on the so-called “radical left” this week.

He tweeted this morning, “Just returned to the White House from the Great State of North Carolina. What a crowd, and what great people. The enthusiasm blows away our rivals on the Radical Left. #2020 will be a big year for the Republican Party!”

Bettors aren’t so sure. At PredictIt, the market asking which party will win the 2020 US presidential election has Democrat shares at 54 cents to Republican shares at 46 cents.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) is a slim favorite for the Democratic ticket, with her shares at 23 cents. Former VP Joe Biden and Warren are at 22 cents.