Ilhan Omar: Kevin McCarthy Is a ‘Coward and a Liar’ for Not Condemning Boebert’s Islamophobic Comments

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) called Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy a “liar and a coward” for his refusal to condemn remarks by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) where she suggested that Omar, a Muslim who wears a hijab, was a terrorist who might detonate an explosive device in the Capitol. But, Omar said, she is “confident” that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will take “decisive action” against Boebert.

Omar called Boebert’s comments “shocking” and “unacceptable” during an interview with Jake Tapper on Sunday, adding, “It’s very unbecoming of a congresswoman to use that kind of derogatory, dangerous, inciting language against a colleague.”

Since video of the remarks started circulating on social media, Omar — who is one of the first Muslim women to serve in Congress — has said she’s received numerous death threats. Last week she played a voicemail aloud at a press conference where a man told her, “You’re a fucking traitor. You will not live much longer, bitch.”

When asked about Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s refusal to condemn Boebert’s remarks and his claims that Boebert has apologized (even though she doubled-down , Omar said, “McCarthy is a liar and a coward.” Omar continued, “He doesn’t have the ability to condemn the kind of bigoted Islamophobia and anti-Muslim rhetoric that are being trafficked by a member of his conference.”

Tapper interjected, asking, “Why doesn’t he have the ability to do that?”

“This is who they are,” the congresswoman answered. “And we have to be able to stand up to them and we have to be able to push them to reckon with the fact that their party right now is normalizing anti-Muslim bigotry.”

Tapper pointed out that a few Republican members of the House have condemned Boebert’s comments. Omar responded by noting that those members have been attacked for doing so. “Which tells you that their conference condones this, and that’s why it’s dangerous. Because people across the world, not just in the United States, are seeing this and they’re worried. As you know, Islamophobia is on the rise … This isn’t about me, this is about all of the young girls across this country who wear the hijab so proudly who are afraid for their lives.”

The conversation then turned to whether Democrats can take action can be taken against Boebert for her bigotry. “We should punish and sanction Boebert by stripping her of her committees, by rebuking her language, by doing everything that we can to send a clear message to the American public that if Republicans are not going to be adults and condemn this, that we are going to do that.”

Omar added, “I’ve had a conversation with the speaker and I’m very confident that she will take decisive action next week.”

She further explained why she trusts Pelosi: “As you know, when I first got to Congress, I was worried that I wasn’t going to be allowed to be sworn in because there was a ban on the hijab. She promised me she would take care of it. She fulfilled that promise. She’s made another promise to me she will take care of this, and I believe her.”