Rep. Ilhan Omar on Tuesday criticized remarks President Trump made in January 2018 asking why the U.S. is accepting immigrants from Haiti and “shithole” countries in Africa.
“I also happen to be a refugee and an immigrant from what they call one of the shithole countries. The reality is, that shithole country raised a very proud, dignified person. Our circumstances might not always be perfect, but that doesn’t lessen our humanity, and I am not in the business of defending mine,” the Minnesota Democrat said during a speech at a Capitol Hill “We Stand With Ilhan” support rally.
The rally was being held for Ms. Omar following recent blasts from Republican leadership including Mr. Trump, who has called her “extremely unpatriotic and extremely disrespectful” for her referring to the September 11 attacks as “some people [doing] something,”
The president tweeted an edited video of Ms. Omar’s speech with her comments on the attacks spliced with footage of the attack on the World Trade Center.
Ms. Omar, one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, said in a statement in March that she has “experienced an increase in direct threats” on her life since Mr. Trump’s tweet. Other lawmakers defended her, saying the quotes were “taken out of context” and demonstrated “Islamophobia.”
Ms. Omar has also faced accusations of anti-Semitism since criticizing pro-Israel lobbyist groups and questioning the loyalty of Jewish lawmakers who pushed back against her criticisms of the Israeli government.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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