House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called to remove Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a Tuesday interview with “Fox and Friends” following a tweet McCarthy characterized as “anti-Semitic” and “anti-American.”
“I think Nancy Pelosi should remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee,” McCarthy said in the interview, describing Omar as “an individual that has not once, but on numerous occasions been anti-Semitic.”
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy goes after Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN):
“I will promise you this: If we are fortunate enough to have the majority, Omar would not be serving on Foreign Affairs [Committee] or anybody that has an anti-semitic, anti-American view.” pic.twitter.com/aLUGsJfW2t
— The Recount (@therecount) June 15, 2021
McCarthy further criticized Omar for a tweet that equated the U.S. and Israel with the Taliban and Hamas. “We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, and the Taliban,” Omar tweeted June 7.
We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity.
We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.
I asked @SecBlinken where people are supposed to go for justice. pic.twitter.com/tUtxW5cIow
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) June 7, 2021
McCarthy said the comparison is evidence of her being “not just anti-Semitic [but] anti-American now.” The minority leader promised to remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee if Republicans take control of the chamber after the 2022 midterm elections.
“I will promise you this: if we are fortunate enough Omar would not be serving on Foreign Affairs or anybody that has an anti-Semitic, anti-American view,” McCarthy said.” That is not productive, and that is not right.” (RELATED: Republicans Introduce Resolution To Censure Ilhan Omar, ‘Squad’ For Supporting ‘Recognized Terrorist Organization’)
Omar defended her tweet in a press statement Thursday.
“On Monday, I asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken about ongoing International Criminal Court [ICC] investigations. To be clear: the conversation was about accountability for specific incidents regarding those ICC cases, not a moral comparison between Hamas and the Taliban and the U.S. and Israel,” she wrote. “I was in no way equating terrorist organizations with democratic countries with well-established judicial systems.”
McCarthy expressed frustration with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leadership releasing a statement that thanked Omar for clarifying her position in an attempt to defuse the situation and praised “legitimate criticism.”
“Do Democrats believe this message?” asked McCarthy in the interview. “That is what’s in doubt for me.”