NJ Congresswoman Tweeting During Trump Address: ‘He’s a Racist’

During the venerable State of the Union address on Tuesday, a New Jersey congresswoman was tweeting that President Donald Trump is a racist while one of her colleagues was playing Candy Crush on her phone.

A photographer for Getty Images captured U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J. 12 District, checking her social media while the president spoke. She and her colleague were called out by the Daily Mail.

But what the New Jersey lawmaker said on Twitter might also fire up Trump supporters.

"Notice @realDonaldTrump isn't talking about white terrorists. Curious as to why he's so reluctant to call out racists?" one of her tweets said. "Hint: he's a racist."

In later tweets during the address, Watson Coleman said Trump should "apologize for his racism, xenophobia, and sexism" and criticized him for "castigating and scapegoating immigrants, and stoking fear of violent immigrants terrorizing our communities."

Her spokesman said Thursday that Watson Coleman had planned to live-tweet the address — and let her followers know the day before.

"The congresswoman believes that it is important to be transparent in her thoughts and reactions to policy priorities set by the President of the United States," spokesman Austin Dean said Thursday.

But what's U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence's excuse for playing Candy Crush?

Members of Congress made other symbolic gestures during the speech.

Watson Coleman, whose district covers parts of Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties, and her colleagues wore red pins to honor Recy Taylor, a black woman who was gang-raped by by six white men in Alabama in 1944. The men were never prosecuted.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus also made a show of sitting on their hands while Republicans and others in the audience stood and applauded Trump during the speech.