Republican takes sartorial swipe at Democrat women whose white pantsuits are 'a disease'

A Republican lawmaker has criticised female Democrats who wore white to Donald Trump's first joint session address to Congress, describing their sartorial choices as "a disease".

GOP representative Kevin Cramer, from North Dakota, commented during a radio town hall on Wednesday (1 March), in which he suggested Democrat women were dressing like Hillary Clinton.

"But by the way, did you notice how poorly several of them were dressed as well?" Cramer said.

"It is a syndrome. There is no question, there is a disease associated with the notion that a bunch of women would wear bad-looking white pantsuits in solidarity with Hillary Clinton to celebrate her loss. You cannot get that weird."

Some Democrats had opted to wear white to show their solidarity with and remembrance of the suffragette movement during Trump's hour-long speech in which he outlined his plans for future policy.

It is not the first time the clothing worn by women has been a feature of GOP comment, with a backlash coming several weeks ago after it emerged Trump had issued a dress code for women, and men, in the White House.

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, who donned a white and purple outfit in Congress, had said prior to Trump's address that Democrat women were not wearing white as a protest.

"It's not even a protest," she said in an interview with MSNBC. "It's a statement of values. It associates ourselves with our suffragette mothers, the colour of white, the colour of purple"

Pelsoi also tweeted about the white dress some Democrats opted to wear, and Cramer's comments adding: "‪@RepKevinCramer, thank you for illustrating why we so badly need to honor ‪#WomensHistoryMonth. ‪#WomenWearWhite"