Omar, a Somali-born American Muslim, made the remarks in an interview with CNN on Sunday where she blasted House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for his reaction to Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert's “Islamophobic and racist comments” about Muslims, calling the GOP leader “a liar and a coward.”
“McCarthy is a liar and a coward. 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,” Omar told co-host Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union” when asked about McCarthy.
Asked why McCarthy does not have the ability to censure such racist remarks, Omar said, “Because this is who they are,” referring to Republicans.
“And we have to be able to stand up to them, and we have to push them to reckon with the fact that their party right now is normalizing anti-Muslim bigotry,” she added.
Boebert in a statement last week apologized for her recent “Islamophobic and racist comments” after Omar and other Democrats called for an “appropriate action” against her for "anti-Muslim bigotry.”
But after a few days, Boebert showed no sign of remorse, posting a video that described her call with Omar and doubled down on her rhetoric against Muslims.
"Make no mistake. I will continue to fearlessly put America first, never sympathizing with terrorists. Unfortunately, Ilhan can't say the same thing and our country is worse off for it," Boebert said.
During an event in her Colorado district last month, Boebert told the audience about an encounter with Omar in the Capitol — which Omar says never happened.
“I was getting into an elevator with one of my staffers,” Boebert told the laughing crowd. “You know, we’re leaving the Capitol and we’re going back to my office and we get an elevator and I see a Capitol police officer running to the elevator. I see fret all over his face, and he’s reaching, and the door’s shutting, like I can’t open it, like what’s happening. I look to my left, and there she is. Ilhan Omar. And I said, ‘Well, she doesn’t have a backpack, we should be fine.’ ”
The incident and a subsequent video of Boebert making Islamophobic comments about Omar at an event in September caused outrage at Capitol Hill, with Democrats calling for Boebert to be reprimanded, and being stripped of her committee assignments. Republicans, however, have not shown willingness to take those steps.
McCarthy on Friday said Boebert apologized for her actions, including personally, and had a phone call with Omar.
Pressure is growing on House Democratic leaders to remove Boebert from the committees over her Islamophobic attacks.
Omar said she was “very confident” that the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, “will take decisive action” against Boebert in the week to come, perhaps by removing committee assignments or seeking formal censure.
Omar said Pelosi made a “promise to me that she will take care of this,” adding, “I believe her.”
MA/PR