Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) issued an apology after encouraging a crowd at a campaign event for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to boo Hillary Clinton Friday night.
“No, no. I’ll boo. Boo! You all know I can’t be quiet. No, we’re going to boo. That’s alright. The haters will shut up on Monday,” Tlaib told the crowd after a moderator for the event cut off an audience member who began booing Clinton.
The comments were made during a panel discussion with Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07) ahead of Sanders’ “caucus concert” with Bon Iver in Clive, Iowa.
Rashida Tlaib booing Hillary Clinton 👀 pic.twitter.com/Wj6bIDfhy3
— Ibrahim (@ibrahimpols) February 1, 2020
Her comments came the same day Clinton accused Sanders and his supporters of being responsible for the disunity in the Democratic Party.
“This is amazing. Mean Girls squad led by Rashida Tlaib boo Hillary Clinton at a Bernie Sanders rally,” Kellyanne Conway, White House counselor to the president, said on Twitter.
This is amazing.
Mean Girls Squad Led by @RashidaTlaib BOO
@HillaryClinton at a #BernieSanders Rally.
https://t.co/wkkjyw7pTt— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) February 1, 2020
Tlaib apologized for her behavior in a statement posted to Twitter Saturday morning, saying she was “frustrated by attempts to dismiss the strength and diversity of our movement.”
“However, I know what is at stake if we don’t unify over one candidate to beat Trump and I intend to do everything possible to ensure that Trump does not win in 2020,” she continued. “In this instance, I allowed my disappointment with Secretary Clinton’s latest comments about Senator Sanders and his supporters get the best of me. You all, my sisters-in-service on stage, and our movement deserve better.”
She said she will “continue to strive to come from a place of love and not react in the same way of those who are against what we are building in this country.”
“However, I know what is at stake if we don't unify over one candidate to beat Trump and I intend to do everything possible to ensure that Trump does not win in 2020. (2/4)
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) February 1, 2020
“This is about building a just and equitable future for my two boys, children across the country, and future generations,” she concluded.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Rashida Tlaib” by Ibrahim.
