President Donald Trump has called for Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar to be impeached after she made controversial comments following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, describing the Minnesota representative and her fellow critics as “scum” who are “telling us what to do.”
Speaking aboard Air Force One while departing Britain on Thursday, Mr Trump told reporters Ms Omar “should be impeached,” adding: “I think she’s terrible.” His intervention came after a narrow House vote on Wednesday rejected a Republican attempt to censure Ms Omar and strip her of committee assignments over her response to Mr Kirk’s murder.
The President escalated his attack on Friday evening, posting on Truth Social: “Ilhan Omar’s Country of Somalia is plagued by a lack of central Government control, persistent Poverty, Hunger, Resurgent Terrorism, Piracy, decades of Civil War, Corruption, and pervasive Violence.”
He added: “All of this, and Ilhan Omar tells us how to run America! What SCUM we have in our Country, telling us what to do, and how to do it.”
Ms Omar, who was born in Somalia before her family emigrated to the United States in the 1990s, had sparked Republican fury after an interview with British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan on the Zeteo platform the day after Mr Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University on 10 September.
During the interview, Ms Omar said those who believed “Charlie Kirk just wanted to have a civil debate” were “full of s***,” adding there was “nothing more f***** up than to pretend his words and actions have not been recorded” over the past decade.
The congresswoman also reposted a video on social media platform X that described Mr Kirk as a “stochastic terrorist” and “reprehensible human being,” with commentary stating: “Don’t be fooled, these people don’t give a single s*** about Charlie Kirk. They’re just using his death to further their Christo-fascist agenda.”
Republican representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina introduced a resolution to censure Ms Omar and remove her from the House Budget and Education committees, accusing her of “mocking the cold-blooded assassination of an innocent American husband and father.”
The motion narrowly failed by 214-213, with four Republicans joining Democrats to defeat the measure. The Republican defectors were Mike Flood of Nebraska, Tom McClintock of California, Jeff Hurd of Colorado, and Cory Mills of Florida.
Mr Mills, who faced a retaliatory censure threat from Democrats that was subsequently dropped, explained his decision: “This is a First Amendment issue. We may not like or agree with what someone says, but that does not mean we should deny their First Amendment right.”
Mr McClintock echoed this sentiment, stating: “Ilhan Omar’s comments regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk are vile and contemptible. They deserve the harshest criticism of every man and woman of good will. But this disgusting and hateful speech is still speech and is protected by our First Amendment.”
Ms Mace’s resolution accused Ms Omar of making statements that “are reprehensible and affect the dignity and integrity of the proceedings of the House,” citing both her interview comments and the reposted video.
Following the failed censure, Ms Mace wrote on social media: “Ilhan Omar mocked the cold-blooded assassination of an innocent American husband and father. She’s supported ISIS. She’s supported the Muslim Brotherhood. She’s incited political violence. And tonight, Congress protected her.”
Ms Omar responded directly to Ms Mace’s accusations, posting: “Literally none of this is true and this woman needs to get help. We have to stop allowing members who are experiencing mental breakdown to continue to work without getting them the help they need. This is an emergency, let’s help her before she hurts herself or one of us.”
The Minnesota representative had earlier defended herself, stating she was “one of the first to condemn Charlie Kirk’s murder” and had “explicitly expressed her sympathies and prayers to his wife and children.”
“Fun fact: Nancy Mace is trying to censure me over comments I never said. Her res does not contain a single quote from me because she couldn’t find any,” Ms Omar posted on X. “Unlike her, I have routinely condemned political violence, no matter the political ideology.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned Ms Mace ahead of the vote, calling her “a complete and total disgrace” and saying her “racist, unhinged and xenophobic comments about Congresswoman Ilhan Omar are beneath the dignity of the Congress.”
Mr Jeffries warned: “Nancy Mace’s crazed rhetoric has put a target on the back of Rep. Omar. Mace must cease and desist her inciteful behaviour immediately.”
Mr Kirk, founder of conservative youth organisation Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on 10 September whilst speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with his murder and prosecutors have indicated they will seek the death penalty.
The assassination has prompted Republicans to launch an aggressive campaign against those they accuse of posthumously attacking Mr Kirk. Representative Chip Roy of Texas has proposed establishing a select committee to conduct a “full scale investigation of the coordinated network of leftists attacking us.”
Senator Ted Cruz has promoted legislation to add rioting to prosecutable offences under racketeering laws, whilst Senator Mike Lee of Utah wants Congress to revive Cold War-era legislation prohibiting communist organisations.
Mr Trump also revived long-debunked conspiracy theories about Ms Omar on Friday, falsely claiming: “Wasn’t she the one that married her brother in order to gain Citizenship???” Ms Omar has consistently denied these baseless allegations.
The President continued his attack on Thursday whilst speaking to reporters, saying of Somalia: “They come from a place with nothing, nothing, no, anything, and then they tell us how to run our country.”
Ms Omar thanked her colleagues after the censure vote failed, writing: “Thank you to my colleagues for having my back and not furthering lies on the House floor. Appreciate them safeguarding first amendment protections and the usage of the censure. Finally some sanity in the House.”
The controversy represents part of a broader pattern of political violence and retribution that has marked recent American politics. House Republicans have indicated further attempts to punish Ms Omar and others critical of Mr Kirk may continue, with Representative Mike Flood filing a House Ethics complaint against the congresswoman on Thursday.
Democratic Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota defended her colleague, describing Ms Mace’s social media attacks as “shameful” and accusing her of “vilifying my friend Ilhan Omar to raise money for herself.”
The failed censure marks another flashpoint in America’s increasingly polarised political landscape, with free speech protections clashing against demands for accountability over inflammatory rhetoric in the wake of political violence.
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