Geraldo on 'The Five': Give Rep. Omar 'a break'

Rep. Ilhan Omar under fire for 9/11 remark

On "The Five" on Friday, co-hosts Jesse Watters and Geraldo Rivera debated comments made by Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., regarding 9/11 and her progressive colleagues defending her.

“I don't think she's a hero. I also don't think she's a victim. I think she's a below-average talent who doesn't have this sensibility to survive very much longer in Congress,” Watters told his co-hosts, criticizing Omar for her remarks and her defense.

CRENSHAW CALLS OUT OMAR FOR DESCRIBING 9/11 ATTACKS AS 'SOME PEOPLE DID SOMETHING'

Rivera asked Watters, “How do you know that?”

Watters then said that if not for her friendship with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., the Democratic Party would “cast her aside because she’s not worth the trouble.”

For the first time in history you have two Muslim women in the Congress of the United States. They carry an enormous burden
— Geraldo Rivera on Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib

Omar is being scrutinized after a speech at a Muslim rights group’s event in which she described the 9/11 terror attacks as “some people did something”.

Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., have staunchly defended defended Omar and criticized her critics, saying the attacks are racist and anit-Muslim.

“What I don't like is that she never really acknowledges what she says once she's attacked. She says you're only attacking me because of my identity not what I actually said,” Watters said.

Rivera defended Omar, noted that she was receiving death threats, and compared her situation to former President John F. Kennedy’s Catholicism being debated during his presidential campaign.

That brought a response from Watters.

I think she's a below average talent who doesn't have this sensibility to survive very much longer in Congress.
— Jesse Watters on Rep. Ilhan Omar

“If this was a white guy saying this, a white straight male Christian freshman Democrat congressman, you don't think the Republicans would be running up the score on something like that?” Watters asked Rivera.

“It's a gotcha. I mean let her learn on the job. Give her a break, Jesse,” Geraldo said.

Co-host Dana Perino then interjected, criticizing Omar for consistently saying or releasing her controversial thoughts.

“I can remember one time where I was taken out of context. And the reason for that is because I'm thoughtful about what I'm going to say. Every week she complains about being taken out of context,” Perino said.

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Rivera responded by addressing the significance of Omar and Tlaib being the first Muslim women in Congress.

“But you know what the difference is here, for the first time in history you have two Muslim women in the Congress of the United States. They carry an enormous burden,” Rivera said.