It's impossible to see how Harris could conclude that Trump was actually saying that Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (Minn.) should go back to their congressional districts.

Why? Well, because he says that they "originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe" and suggests that "they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came."

The last time I checked, congressional districts and neighborhoods aren't described as "countries." Nor do they have their own governments -- "the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world" or otherwise.

Then there's Trump's "you can't leave fast enough" taunt. The four members Trump is talking about wouldn't be "leaving" anywhere if they were, as Harris suggests, just being told by Trump to go back to their congressional districts and neighborhoods. They'd just be going home, to their districts.

Trump took 61% of the vote in Harris' sprawling eastern Maryland district. That means the only threat to Harris holding his first district for as long as he wants is a Republican primary challenger. And the easiest way to draw a primary challenger in the age of Trump is to stick your head up and say something negative about the President. Trump will see your apostasy and, if past is prologue, will go out of his way to make sure you get beat. (See Jeff Flake, Bob Corker, Justin Amash, etc.)

And so, if you are a Republican member of Congress, you have two options:

1) Avoid the media at all costs when Trump says or tweets something like he did on Sunday

2) Contort yourself -- a la Harris -- to suggest that Trump meant something very different than what he said

Elected office -- and leadership more generally -- is not easy. If you are going to stand up and say that you are the single best person to represent a district, a state or the country, you are also taking on a responsibility to do what is right, not what is expedient.