Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) began to refer to Somalia as “my country” before catching herself and calling it the “country I came from” during a recent speech.
The slip-up came during her remarks to a crowd of supporters gathered to greet her Thursday night at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
“We have always been about creating a more perfect union, an inclusive one. One that is not just tolerant, but accepting. And so since the first day this president introduced the Muslim ban knowing my coun—the country I came from was on that and that my country now was on the track of implementing fascist laws, I knew that I had to speak up,” Omar said.
The comments drew criticism from some conservative journalists, who questioned if Omar identifies “as an American or a Somalian.”
LISTEN CLOSELY to @IlhanMN freudian slip here when she got back to MSP last night.
So does she identify as an American or a Somalian?
What say you? Plz share your Point of View pic.twitter.com/qhDVsnSQiT— Chris Berg (@chrisbergPOVNOW) July 19, 2019
Omar made similar remarks during a 2015 speech to the Revolution Somali Youth League before she was elected to the Minnesota House.
“You guys have the ability to make an impact on where our nation is headed, not only here in the United States, but even in our nation back home,” she said.
Ilhan Omar addressing the Revolution Somali Youth League in 2015:
“You guys have the ability to impact where our nation is headed….”
“Not only HERE–in the United States–but even in OUR NATION BACK HOME.” #EnemyWithin pic.twitter.com/PAmAPEz8Kw
— Rep. Steven Smith 🇺🇸 (@RepStevenSmith) July 17, 2019
President Donald Trump has continued to target Omar and her fellow members of “the squad,” including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13).
“When will the radical left congresswomen apologize to our country, the people of Israel and even to the Office of the President, for the foul language they have used and the terrible things they have said. So many people are angry at them and their horrible and disgusting actions,” Trump recently wrote on Twitter.
When will the Radical Left Congresswomen apologize to our Country, the people of Israel and even to the Office of the President, for the foul language they have used, and the terrible things they have said. So many people are angry at them & their horrible & disgusting actions!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 15, 2019
“If Democrats want to unite around the foul language and racist hatred spewed from the mouths and actions of these very unpopular and unrepresentative Congresswomen, it will be interesting to see how it plays out,” the president added. “I can tell you that they have made Israel feel abandoned by the U.S.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Ilhan Omar” by the Guardian.
