People across the internet are enraged after Trump’s former campaign chief Corey Lewandowski went on Fox News and mocked a 10-year-old girl with Down syndrome who was separated from her parents.
Lewandowski appeared on Fox News on Tuesday evening to debate Democratic strategist Zac Petkanas on the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy to prosecute all adults coming into the U.S. unauthorized, separating children from their parents as a result.
During the conversation, Petkanas recalled the story of one of the children separated from her mother at the border. According to BuzzFeed News, a 10-year-old with Down syndrome was being held in a McAllen, Texas, detention facility, separated from her mother, despite her father being a legal permanent resident in the U.S.
“I read about a 10-year-old girl with Down syndrome who was taken from her mother and put in a cage,” Petkanas said, before being interrupted by a mocking jeer from Lewandowski.
“Womp, womp,” the former Trump campaign lead said in response.
“Did you say ‘womp, womp’ to a 10-year-old with Down syndrome being taken from her mother? How dare you,” Petkanas replied, repeating the last phrase several times at his opponent.
“What I said is you can pick anything you [unclear] but the bottom line is when you cross the border illegally you have given up the rights of this country,” Lewandowski said.
The two continued to crosstalk, Lewandowski defending the family separation practice and Petkanas grilling Lewandowski on his crass “womp, womp” response.
https://twitter.com/passantino/status/1009220051172495361
Sociopath Corey Lewandowski responds “Womp Womp” to story of a Down Syndrome child being taken for her mother. pic.twitter.com/Jv9YBmmuxB
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) June 20, 2018
Interestingly enough, as Reveal’s (and former Daily Dot reporter) Aaron Sankin pointed out on Twitter, Lewandowski works for the Great America Committee PAC, which gets donations from the GEO Group, a company that owns private immigration detention facilities. (The Great America Committee is registered by Vice President Mike Pence.) In other words, not only did Lewandowski dismiss the concern over detained immigrant children, let alone immigrant children with Down syndrome, but he also profits off the detention of such children, and jeers “womp, womp” on the way to the bank.
Corey Lewandowski, who said “womp womp” on national TV today regarding a 10-year old immigrant girl with Down Syndrome being taken from her mother, works for a PAC that gets donations from a company that owns private immigration detention facilities. https://t.co/CQJRCGfSXy pic.twitter.com/rztMztYisI
— Aaron Sankin (@ASankin) June 20, 2018
On Twitter, critics of Lewandowski’s mocking have attempted to turn his insulting, insensitive phrase on himself, using “womp, womp” to celebrate physical harm against him, the potential downfall of his career, and his eventual death.
Womp womp will be the sound Corey Lewandowski’s soul makes as it descends to Hell
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) June 20, 2018
[punches Corey Lewandowski in the dick] WOMP WOMP
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) June 20, 2018
A little girl with Down Syndrome was separated from her mom. While that heartbreaking story was being told on Fox News Corey Lewandowski said “womp, womp” in the background.
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) June 20, 2018
Corey Lewandowski’s career is over. Womp, womp. Go to hell, you monster. pic.twitter.com/mnzrUilu7z
I call tweeting “womp womp” when Corey Lewandowski dies
— Chase Mitchell (@ChaseMit) June 20, 2018
Hey, Corey Lewandowski!
— John C. McGinley (@JohnCMcGinley) June 20, 2018
You punk-ass-mother-fucker.
I can’t wait until our path’s cross.
So that we can reconcile your pathetic, spineless, school-yard-bullying, never-been-nothin’-but-a-poser, cowardly, pilot-fishing, only-been-the-coffee-boy,
“Womp-womping” mug! #pitiful
https://twitter.com/PoliticalEmilia/status/1009239491716923392
https://twitter.com/freedarko/status/1009238556617760768
When Corey Lewandowski dies, I want “Womp womp” to be the opening paragraph of his obituary.
— Adam Feldman (@FeldmanAdam) June 20, 2018
Satan just released a statement saying that Corey Lewandowski isn’t welcome in hell after that womp womp shit.
— Mr. Christopher (@iamalmostlegend) June 20, 2018
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While mocking a rich white man with political power who has nothing better to say about children with Down syndrome might be fun and games, perhaps death jokes go too far. There are many other ways to blast him.
Karma just decided that from now on, whenever something goes horribly wrong for Corey Lewandowski, somebody within earshot will sing out “Womp Womp.”
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) June 20, 2018
And this may happen more than once.
This morning, Lewandowski responded to the backlash in his trademark way of calling it “fake news” and blaming Obama.
Lots of Fake News today. I mocked a liberal who attempted to politicize children as opposed to discussing the real issue which is fixing a broken immigration system. It’s offenseive that the MSM doesn’t want to talk about the fact these policies were started under Obama.
— Corey R. Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) June 20, 2018
H/T Slate
