The US House of Representatives has voted to condemn Donald Trump for "racist comments".
It follows a series of tweets and remarks by the US president targeting four progressive congresswomen.
The symbolic resolution "strongly condemns the President’s racist comments and states that they have legitimised hatred of new Americans and people of colour, including his reference to immigrants and asylum seekers as 'invaders'".
Members of the House of Representatives voted by 240-187 to back the motion, mostly along party lines.
Four Republicans voted in favour of the motion, as well as independent representative Justin Amash who recently left the party.
There were heated exchanges in the House as members prepared to vote on the resolution.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi slammed the US president for refusing to retract his remarks.
ICYMI - @SpeakerPelosi complete remarks on the House floor.
"These comments from the White House are disgraceful and disgusting and these comments are racist." pic.twitter.com/dtp6VNC9cD— CSPAN (@cspan) July 17, 2019
She said: "These comments from the White House are disgraceful and disgusting and these comments are racist.
"How shameful to hear [President Trump] continue to defend those offensive words - words we have all heard him repeat not only about our members, but about countless others."
She added: "Every single member of this institution, Democratic and Republican, should join us in condemning the president's racist tweets.
"To do anything less would be a shocking rejection of our values and a shameful abdication of our oath of office to protect the American people."
Republicans in the House accused Mrs Pelosi of 'unparliamentary language' and breaking floor rules.
Lance Gooden claimed the Democratic leader "knows better than to make such disparaging remarks about the President on the House floor".
Trump continues attacks
The controversy began on Sunday when President Trump tweeted suggesting progressive Democratic congresswomen "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came".
He claimed the women "originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe".
The comments are widely assumed to refer to four prominent progressive congresswomen - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley.
They are all from black or minority ethnic backgrounds, and are often referred to as 'the Squad'.
Ms Omar was born in Somalia before moving to the US as a child, while the other three women were all born in the US.
Amid widespread condemnation of the tweets, President Trump has spent recent days doubling down on his remarks.
Yesterday he insisted the tweets weren't racist, adding: "I don't have a racist bone in my body."
In the wake of the House vote, he renewed his criticism of the four congresswomen:
Ms Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, sharply criticised the president amid his continued attacks - accusing him of having a 'racist mind and heart'.
You’re right, Mr. President - you don’t have a racist bone in your body.
You have a racist mind in your head, and a racist heart in your chest.
That’s why you violate the rights of children and tell the Congresswoman who represents your home borough, to “go back to my country.” https://t.co/adlCUO7r0v— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 16, 2019
