White House calls Ilhan Omar punishment a ‘political stunt’ from Republicans

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House votes to remove Ilhan Omar from Foreign Affairs Committee

‘Outnumbered’ co-hosts react to the House voting to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the Foreign Affairs Committee.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday the House Republican vote to boot Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar off the House Foreign Affairs Committee was a "political stunt" and a "disservice to the American people."

"Look, the way that we see this, it's a political stunt, much like House Republicans' unjust removal of other leading Democrats from key committees in recent weeks," Jean-Pierre said at Thursday’s press briefing. "And it is a disservice to the American people."

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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday the House Republican vote to boot Rep. Ilhan Omar off the House Foreign Affairs Committee was a "political stunt" and "disservice to the American people." (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The resolution to remove Omar was approved in a 218-211 vote Thursday as Republicans said her history of antisemitic remarks disqualified her from the committee. Omar, along with her progressive colleagues, suggested the Republican opposition to her stems from racism.

"I am Muslim, I am an immigrant, and interestingly, from Africa," Omar said. "Is anyone surprised that I am being targeted? Is anyone surprised that I am somehow deemed unworthy to speak about American foreign policy, or that they see me as a powerful voice that needs to be silenced?"

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Rep. Ilhan Omar was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee by Republicans who said her history of antisemitism disqualified her from the position. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Omar was condemned by Democrats and Republicans alike in 2021 when she described Israel as an "apartheid state" and compared that nation, along with the U.S., to Hamas and the Taliban. A dozen Democratic Jewish members of the House said Omar’s comment was "as offensive as it is misguided." Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, criticized the comments along with Democratic leadership in the House, which Omar responded to with an apology.

"Antisemitism is real, and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of antisemitic tropes," Omar said.

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Rep. Ilhan Omar, tweeted in 2012 that "Israel has hypnotized the world." (Olivier Douliery/Abacapress.com)

Jean-Pierre cited Omar’s public apologies as reason to keep her on the committee.

"What we believe is Congresswoman Omar is a highly respected member of Congress," Jean-Pierre said Thursday. "She has apologized for her comments she made in the past."

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Omar had a history of antisemitic remarks before her 2021 comments that drew criticism from her colleagues. She tweeted in 2019 that "It’s all about the Benjamins, baby," in reference to political support for Israel, which she later described as "allegiance to a foreign country." The same year, she described 9/11 as "some people did something."

"Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel," she tweeted in 2012.