House Democrats are discussing beefed up security Thursday as their war of words with President Trump escalated, and Rep. Ilhan Omar accused the president of “spewing his fascist ideology” at her.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she’s communicated with the sergeant at arms “to be sure our members have what they need for their protection.”
A day after some Trump supporters at a campaign rally chanted about Ms. Omar to “send her back” to Somalia, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York criticized the president for “racist incitements of violence,” and said she and other House Democrats are discussing the need for additional security.
“Those are conversations we’re certainly having … with the caucus, figuring out what extra security precautions will be taken,” she told reporters at the Capitol.
Asked if she feels safe, the lawmaker replied, “Well, I don’t feel safer today than I did yesterday. But as each day goes on, the Republican Party’s targeted attacks and Trump’s targeted attacks puts us further in danger. Yesterday it escalated to a very large degree.”
Ms. Omar said dismissively of Mr. Trump, “Nothing this president says should be taken to heart. We are Americans as much as everyone else.”
“As much as he’s spewing his fascist ideology on stage, telling U.S. citizens to go back because they don’t agree with his detrimental policies for our country, we tell people that here in the United States, dissent is patriotic,” Ms. Omar told reporters. “Here in the United States, disagreement is welcome, debate is welcome, and especially in the people’s House, all of our voices are uplifted and heard.”
The war of words between Mr. Trump and the four liberal congresswomen known as “The Squad” continued for a fifth day, after the president tweeted last weekend that the lawmakers should “go back” to their countries of origin instead of criticizing the U.S.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts were born in the U.S. Ms. Omar emigrated from Somalia as a child and is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
As the president was criticizing Ms. Omar’s rhetoric Wednesday night as un-American, some supporters in the crowd chanted “send her back.”
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said most Republican lawmakers aren’t speaking out because “it benefits them.”
“And so long as this president can get more and more people to buy into racist rhetoric, it will benefit [Republicans],” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said. “It seems right now they’re not standing up for it, because they’re benefiting.”
She said the rhetoric is “dragging our country backwards.”
Ms. Omar gestured to a group of her constituents and told reporters, “This president does not speak for them. And we are going to make sure that we get a president that we could be proud of.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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