Minnesota Congressmember Ilhan Omar is calling on congressional leaders to sanction Colorado Republican Lauren Boebert, after the far-right lawmaker joked to her constituents that Omar was a suicide bomber. Boebert’s hateful remarks were shared on Twitter, where they’ve received over 5 million views.
Rep. Lauren Boebert: “I look to my left, and there she is: Ilhan Omar. And I say, 'Well, she doesn't have a backpack. We should be fine.’”
Crowd: [laughing]
Rep. Lauren Boebert: “And I said, 'Oh, look, the Jihad Squad decided to show up for work today.'”
Crowd: [cheering]
In 2018, Congressmember Omar became the first Somali American and one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. She tweeted after Boebert’s remarks, “Anti-Muslim bigotry isn’t funny & shouldn’t be normalized. Congress can’t be a place where hateful and dangerous Muslims tropes get no condemnation.” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has yet to condemn Boebert’s statements.