Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) on Wednesday punched back at Tucker Carlson, accusing the Fox News Channel host of being a “racist fool” after he argued the Somalia-born freshman congresswoman was “proof” that the United States’ immigration policies are “dangerous.”
“I truly believe he is a racist fool,” Omar said following Wednesday morning’s Democrat caucus meeting, according to the Washington Times. Carlson is “weeping about the fact that we have an African-born member of Congress, the type of people that the likes of him think come from shithole countries,” the Minnesota Democrat continued, referring to President Donald Trump’s alleged remarks about several African nations. “The fact that he doesn’t get the opportunity to ban me from this country and now he has to call me a congresswoman I’m sure pisses him off,” the lawmaker added.
On Tuesday evening, Carlson blasted Omar over her repeated attacks on the U.S., arguing her past comments were proof of her unappreciation for being allowed to immigrate to the country.
“After everything America has done for Omar and for her family, she hates this country more than ever,” said Carlson.
“Omar isn’t disappointed in America, she is enraged by it. Virtually every public statement she makes accuses Americans of bigotry and racism,” the Fox News Channel host went on. “That should worry you and not just because Omar is now a sitting Member of Congress. Ilhan Omar is living proof that the way we practice immigration has become dangerous to this country.”
“Maybe that’s our fault for asking too little of our immigrants. We aren’t self-confident enough to make them assimilate so they never feel fully American,” he added. “Or maybe the problem is deeper than that. Maybe we’re importing people from places whose values are simply in antithetical to ours. Who knows what the problem is, but there is a problem.”
Carlson wrapped up his segment by calling on his audience to be “grateful” for Omar.
“She’s a living fire alarm, a warning to the rest of us we better change our immigration system immediately,” he said.
Justin Wells, Senior Executive Producer of FOX News’s Tucker Carlson Tonight, issued this statement: “Anyone who values democracy and free expression should be gravely concerned when members of Congress demand that their critics be silenced. Tucker will address this on tonight’s show.”
Carlson’s comments followed a Washington Post profile on Omar, in which she criticized the U.S. as unjust in a recent speech to high school students.
Omar on Tuesday took to social media to respond to Carlson, calling him a “racist fool.”
“Not gonna lie, it’s kinda fun watching a racist fool like this weeping about my presence in Congress,” the Minnesota Democrat wrote on Twitter. “No lies will stamp out my love for this country or my resolve to make our union more perfect.”
Not gonna lie, it’s kinda fun watching a racist fool like this weeping about my presence in Congress
No lies will stamp out my love for this country or my resolve to make our union more perfect.
They will just have to get used to calling me Congresswoman! https://t.co/nRS13yWivK
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 10, 2019
“They will just have to get used to calling me Congresswoman!” she concluded.
Omar moved to the U.S. in 1995 and became a citizen in 2000 at the age of 17 years old. She was one of two Muslim women to be elected to the House in November 2018.
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