Politics

Rep. Ilhan Omar Justifies Supporting MLB Boycott By Falsely Implying Georgia Election Law Will ‘Restrict People’s Ability To Vote’

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Brandon Gillespie Media Reporter
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Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar on Sunday justified her support for the MLB’s boycott of Georgia over its new election law by falsely implying that the law “will restrict people’s ability to vote.”

Omar seemingly rejected Democratic activist Stacey Abram’s stance on the issue of boycotts when asked by host Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union” if she agreed with her that pulling the MLB All Star Game from Atlanta, Ga. would disproportionately hurt minorities. (RELATED: Psaki Doubles Down On Biden’s ‘Four Pinocchio’ Claim That Georgia Election Bill Ends Voting Hours Early)

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Tapper began by noting that the MLB pulled the All Star Game from Georgia because of its new “restrictive” voting law. He stated that Abrams said she understands why people would want to boycott Georgia to protest the law, but that such actions would hurt working people who benefit from the game and are “disproportionately minorities.”

He then asked Omar if she agreed with the MLB’s decision or if she sided with Abrams over the boycotts.

“We know that boycotts have allowed for justice to be delivered in many spaces. The civil rights movement was rooted in boycotts. We know that, you know, apartheid ended in South Africa because of boycotts,” Omar responded.

“So our hope is that, you know, this boycott will result in changes in the law because we understand that when you restrict people’s ability to vote, you create a democracy that isn’t fully functioning for all of us. If we are to continue to be a beacon of hope for all democracies around the world, we must stand our ground,” she concluded.

The MLB announced Friday that it would be moving the All Star Game out of Atlanta over Georgia’s new election law. The decision was met with widespread criticism from Republicans, as well as some Democrats, with former President Donald Trump calling for a boycott of the MLB in response. Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp slammed the decision, saying that the MLB “caved to fear” and fell for “liberal lies” over the law.

Democrats and activist groups have criticized the law, claiming that it’s akin to Jim Crow era laws that were targeted at blacks in the South before the civil rights movement. Misinformation concerning what the law does, as well as its effects, have been widespread, with even President Joe Biden receiving “four pinocchio’s” from The Washington Post for saying the law will prevent working class people from voting.