Tuesday July 30, 2024
Former U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and U.S. Congresswomen Ilhan Omar (center) and Rashida Tlaib (right) during various public appearances. Trump's recent campaign speech in St. Cloud, Minnesota, reignited tensions as he mistakenly conflated Omar with Tlaib, both prominent members of the progressive "Squad." REUTERS/File Photos
Minneapolis (HOL) — During a campaign speech on Saturday, Republican candidate Donald Trump mistakenly confused Democratic Congresswomen Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. Both women are members of the "Squad," an informal group of progressive lawmakers.
Trump recounted an incident in 2019 involving Omar that actually pertained to Tlaib. "“This lunatic was in the audience,” he said, after naming Omar. “She started screaming, I said who the hell is that…It’s the same crazy person I watch every night. She’s nuts." Trump said. He accused Omar of previously supporting him and now opposing him.
Omar responded to video of the former president’s remarks in a tweet on Sunday.
“Trump telling dangerous anti-Muslim lies is nothing new. But I have never attended one of his speeches. He is lying again or losing his memory,” wrote the Minnesota congresswoman. “Trump should step aside as his criminal convictions and continued legal troubles have clearly taken a toll on the 78 year old conman.”
A Trump campaign spokesperson confirmed that the former president mistook one congresswoman for the other.
In the days following the 2019 rally, Tlaib penned an opinion piece for her local major newspaper, The Detroit Free Press, "I believe it is unbecoming of any American to not stand up to Trump's hate-filled rhetoric and tactics."
She recounted the incident: "I told Trump that 'our children deserve better' and asked him to provide a better example for our kids. I implored him to read the U.S. Constitution. Then, several security personnel grabbed me and physically moved me to the exit while I continued to express my concerns."
Trump's criticism of Omar and the "Squad" is not new. In 2019, he tweeted that they should "“Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came," which led to chants of "send her back!" from his supporters in North Carolina. Omar responded in 2020, calling Trump a xenophobic racist," opposing immigrants like herself.
Omar and Tlaib made history in November 2018 as the first Muslim women elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Both have made significant strides within the Democratic Party, supporting LGBTQ rights, advocating for immigrants and refugees, and condemning Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Their outspoken stance on Israel led to them being the first U.S. officials banned from entering the country.
Omar immigrated to the United States with her family as a Somali refugee when she was a child and is now a naturalized citizen. She is the first Somali-American and refugee elected to Congress.
Rashida Tlaib, a 42-year-old legal scholar with Palestinian roots, shares a contentious relationship with Trump similar to Omar's. Trump has previously labelled Omar as a supporter of "terrorism" and claimed she "hates America."