“The View” co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin pushed back against her fellow co-hosts who alleged “hypocrisy” and “racism” over Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s removal from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The House of Representatives removed Omar from the committee after she faced scrutiny in 2019 for saying Israel purchased American support and that American Jews “push for allegiance to a foreign country.” Co-hosts Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin accused Republicans of “hypocrisy” and “racism” for removing Ilhan, leading Griffin to voice her support for her removal.
Navarro compared Omar to Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who previously said Jews started forest fires with space lasers. She further criticized Republican New York Rep. George Santos who falsely said his grandparents escaped Jewish persecution in Europe, though he recently recused himself from all committee assignments.
“If it’s not revenge, it’s certainly Republican hypocrisy,” co-host Ana Navarro said. “I’m not a fan of Ilhan Omar, I disagree with her vehemently on most of her foreign policy views. I think she’s dead wrong on Venezuela, on Cuba, on Israel, on many issues. And I say that because the fact that I disagree with her doesn’t mean that I think this is okay … they are elevating and embracing Marjorie Taylor Greene … It is the height of hypocrisy. It is hypocrisy that should make every American, whether you like Ilhan Omar or you don’t, whether you think she’s right or you think she’s wrong, it should make us all be disgusted by what’s happening.”
Co-host Joy Behar criticized Omar, who said she did not know her remarks were anti-Semitic. Co-host Sunny Hostin defended Omar for her apology and accused Republicans of racism. (RELATED: Ocasio-Cortez Has Fiery Fit On House Floor Over Ilhan Omar’s Committee Removal)
“I don’t think this is hypocrisy, I think it’s pure racism,” Hostin said. “I think we should call that out when we see it, and we hear it, and we look at it. I don’t think it’s hypocrisy, because she was elected in 2018 and she has been the subject of racial targets since then. Donald Trump said during one of his rallies in 2019 that they should send her back, other members of the Republican caucus have targeted her. So this suggestion somehow that it is merely hypocrisy devalues what this really is, and that’s racism against Muslim Americans.”
Co-host Sara Haines said the removal is hypocrisy since Greene and Republican Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar — who posted an edited anime video of him killing Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Joe Biden with swords — are on their committees.
“I don’t think she should be on the Foreign Affairs Committee,” Griffin responded. “This is a committee tasked with dealing with U.S.-Israeli relations. She has shown a lack of understanding of anti-Semitism at a time when it is on the rise in the U.S. and around the globe. She has equated Hamas, the U.S. State Department’s designated terrorist organization, with the U.S. and Israel, as well as the Taliban … she does not understand the policies she’s working on.”
“I think that’s devaluing her by saying she does not understand foreign policy,” Hostin responded. “I’m not trying to defend her, because I think she’s made a lot of mistakes, and I think they’ve been ignorant mistakes that she has apologized for. But criticizing, I don’t think we should ever confuse criticizing Israeli policy involving Palestinians, which is what she does often, as the same as anti-Semitism.”
Haines said Omar has repeatedly made anti-Semitic remarks despite apologizing. After making the remarks in 2019, House Democrats immediately passed a resolution condemning anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry.
