Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) responded in a tweet storm Saturday afternoon to President Donald Trump’s video attacking her over her recent comments dismissing the September 11, 2001 Islamist terror attacks in the United States as “some people did something.” Omar posted boilerplate progressive rhetoric, including her own jabs at Trump, but did not–and notably still has not–explained her 9/11 comment made before a CAIR meeting in California on March 23. Even when Omar appeared in New York City Thursday on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert Thursday night she did not address her comment. Colbert, for his part, only asked (and sympathized with) Omar about the backlash to her comment and not about the comment itself. Omar gladly played the victim for Colbert’s audience.
.@IlhanMN: "I will always listen and I will acknowledge your pain." Watch the full extended interview here: https://t.co/tGo2bE3mfE pic.twitter.com/9hF6CJJC68
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) April 11, 2019
Ilhan Omar stays mum on 9/11 comments, complains of double standard on 'Colbert' https://t.co/rkS1HyIZuI pic.twitter.com/SOvkxzUjCU
— New York Post (@nypost) April 11, 2019
Omar has been subjected to withering criticism since a video clip of her comment was posted by the Imam of Peace on April 8. The New York Post published a front page photo of the massive explosion from the second hijacked plane slamming into the World Trade Center with the bold headline, “Here’s your something.”
Trump’s video posted Friday evening, which has garnered well over seven million views in just 24 hours prompted Democrats to accuse the president of putting Omar’s life in danger.
WE WILL NEVER FORGET! pic.twitter.com/VxrGFRFeJM
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2019
Omar pushed back on Saturday against Trump and her other critics in a series of tweets. Missing was an explanation of what she meant when she said of the 9/11 attacks, “some people did something.”
“This country was founded on the ideas of justice, of liberty, of the pursuit of happiness. But these core beliefs are under threat. Each and every day. We are under threat by an administration that would rather cage children than pass comprehensive immigration reform.”
“An administration that would rather give billionaires tax breaks than provide a little cushion for working people. An administration that would rather attack fellow Americans who are transgender and wear our country’s uniform than fight for equality and opportunity for all.”
“I did not run for Congress to be silent. I did not run for Congress to sit on the sidelines. I ran because I believed it was time to restore moral clarity and courage to Congress. To fight and to defend our democracy.”
“No one person – no matter how corrupt, inept, or vicious – can threaten my unwavering love for America. I stand undeterred to continue fighting for equal opportunity in our pursuit of happiness for all Americans.”
“Thank you for standing with me – against an administration that ran on banning Muslims from this country – to fight for the America we all deserve”
Thank you for standing with me – against an administration that ran on banning Muslims from this country – to fight for the America we all deserve.💪🏽
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) April 13, 2019
An AP report on the Omar controversy published Saturday includes several comments from Omar on the controversy, but again, no explanation by her.
The closest Omar has come is a tweet citing then President George W. Bush that added to the controversy by inadvertently highlighting Bush’s strong response to the attacks as compared to Omar’s, “some people did something.”
https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1116683819476750337
Omar retweets others trying to explain her remark but has not done so herself.
Example:
The latest plot against Omar is a willful misreading of her 9/11 comments https://t.co/qFDIlwiMyI pic.twitter.com/pWpOmi8sbk
— Splinter (@splinter_news) April 10, 2019
“Some people did something”.
