Omar was born inMogadishu, Somalia, on October 4, 1982,[17][18] and spent her early years inBaidoa, Somalia.[19][20] She was the youngest of seven siblings, including sisterSahra Noor. Her father, Nur Omar Mohamed, an ethnicSomali from theMajeerteen clan ofNortheastern Somalia,[21] was a colonel in the Somali army underSiad Barre, served with distinction in the 1977-78Ogaden War between Somalia and Ethiopia, and also worked as a teacher trainer.[22][23] Her mother, Fadhuma Abukar Haji Hussein, aBenadiri, died when Ilhan was two.[24][25][26][27] She was raised by her father and grandfather, who were moderateSunniMuslims opposed to the rigidWahhabi interpretation of Islam.[28][29] Her grandfather Abukar was the director of Somalia's National Marine Transport, and some of Omar's uncles and aunts also worked ascivil servants and educators.[23] She and her family fled Somalia to escape theSomali Civil War and spent four years in aDadaabrefugee camp in Garissa County,Kenya, near the Somali border.[30][31][32]
Omar's family securedasylum in the U.S. and arrived inNew York in 1995,[33][34] then lived for a time inArlington, Virginia,[26] before moving to and settling inMinneapolis,[26] where her father worked first as a taxi driver and later for the post office.[26] Her father and grandfather emphasized the importance ofdemocracy during her upbringing, and at age 14 she accompanied her grandfather tocaucus meetings, serving as hisinterpreter.[29][35] She has spoken aboutschool bullying she endured during her time in Virginia, stimulated by her distinctive Somali appearance and wearing of thehijab. She recalls gum being pressed into her hijab, being pushed down stairs, and physical taunts while she was changing for gym class.[26] Omar remembers her father's reaction to these incidents: "They are doing something to you because they feel threatened in some way by your existence."[26] Omar became aU.S. citizen in 2000 when she was 17 years old.[36][26]
In 2013, Omar managedAndrew Johnson's campaign forMinneapolis City Council. After Johnson was elected, she served as his senior policy aide from 2013 to 2015.[39] During a contentious precinct caucus that turned violent in February 2014, she was attacked by five people and was injured.[23] According toMinnPost, the day before the caucus, Minneapolis city council memberAbdi Warsame had told Johnson to warn Omar not to attend the meeting.[43]
As of September 2015, Omar was the Director of Policy Initiatives of the Women Organizing Women Network, advocating for women fromEast Africa to take on civic and political leadership roles.[39] In September 2018, Jeff Cirillo ofRoll Call called her a "progressive rising star".[44]
Minnesota House of Representatives
Elections
Omar, then a candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives, speaks at aHillary for Minnesota event at theUniversity of Minnesota in October 2016Omar at theTwin Cities Pride Parade in 2018
In 2016, Omar ran on theDemocratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) ticket for theMinnesota House of Representatives in District 60B, which includes part of northeast Minneapolis. On August 9, Omar defeatedMohamud Noor and incumbentPhyllis Kahn in the DFL primary.[45] Her chief opponent in the general election was Republican nominee Abdimalik Askar, another activist in the Somali-American community. In late August, Askar announced his withdrawal from the campaign.[46] In November, Omar won the general election, becoming the firstSomali-American legislator in the United States.[47] Her term began on January 3, 2017.[48]
Tenure and activity
During her tenure as state representative for District 60B, Omar was an assistant minority leader for the DFL caucus.[49][50] She authored 38 bills during the 2017–2018 legislative session.[51][52]
Committee assignments
Civil Law & Data Practices Policy
Higher Education & Career Readiness Policy & Finance
In 2018, Republican state representativeSteve Drazkowski publicly accused Omar of campaign finance violations,[18] claiming that she used campaign funds to pay a divorce lawyer, and that her acceptance of speaking fees from public colleges violated Minnesota House rules. Omar responded that the attorney's fees were not personal but campaign-related; she offered to return the speaking fees.[54][55] Drazkowski later accused Omar of improperly using campaign funds for personal travel to Estonia and locations in the U.S.[18][56][36] Omar's campaign dismissed the accusations as politically motivated and accused Drazkowski of using public funds to harass a Muslim candidate.[36][34] In response to an editorial in the MinneapolisStar Tribune arguing that Omar should be more transparent about her use of campaign funds, she said: "these people are part of systems that have historically been disturbingly motivated to silence, discredit and dehumanize influencers who threaten the establishment."[36]
In June 2019, Minnesota campaign finance officials ruled that Omar had to pay back $3,500 that she had spent on out-of-state travel and tax filing in violation of state law, plus a $500 fine.[57] The Campaign Finance Board's investigation also found that in 2014 and 2015 Omar had jointly filed taxes with a man she was not legally married to. Unlike some states, Minnesota does not recognizecommon law marriage, and so such a joint filing is not legally permitted. But experts have said that if the taxpayer files a correction within three years, as Omar's attorney and accountants did in 2016, then there are normally no further consequences, and the Internal Revenue Service is unlikely to pursue punitive measures unless there is a large discrepancy or fraudulent intent. In response to theAP's request for comment, her campaign sent a statement saying, "all of Rep. Omar's tax filings are fully compliant with all applicable tax law."[58][59][60]
On June 5, 2018, Omar filed to run for theUnited States House of Representatives fromMinnesota's 5th congressional district after six-term incumbentKeith Ellison announced he would not seek reelection.[61] On June 17, she was endorsed by the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party after two rounds of voting.[62] Omar won the August 14 primary with 48.2% of the vote.[63] The 5th district is the most Democratic district in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, (it has aCook Partisan Voting Index of D+26) and the DFL has held it without interruption since 1963. She faced health care worker and conservative activist Jennifer Zielinski in the November 6 general election[64] and won with 78.0% of the vote, becoming the first Somali American elected to theU.S. Congress, the first woman of color to serve as a U.S. representative from Minnesota,[13] and (alongside former Michigan state representativeRashida Tlaib) one of the first Muslim women elected to the Congress.[65][66][67]
Omar received the largest percentage of the vote of any female candidate for U.S. House in state history,[68] as well as the largest percentage of the vote for a non-incumbent candidate for U.S. House (excluding those running against only minor-party candidates) in state history.[68] She was sworn in on a copy of theQuran owned by her grandfather.[69][70]
Omar won the Democratic nomination in the August 11 Democratic primary, in which she faced four opponents. The strongest was mediation lawyer Antone Melton-Meaux, who raised $3.2 million in April–June 2020, compared to about $500,000 by Omar; much of Melton-Meaux's funding came from pro-Israel groups.[71][72] Melton-Meaux was also endorsed by Minnesota's largest newspaper, TheStar Tribune.[73] This led some analysts to predict a close race,[74] but Omar received 57.4% of the vote to Melton-Meaux's 39.2%.[75][76] She defeated Republican Lacy Johnson andLegal Marijuana Now Party candidate Michael Moore in the November 3 general election, with 64.3% of the vote to Johnson's 25.8% and Moore's 9.5%.[77] Omar's margin of victory was 24 points less than Biden's in the district, the highest underperformance of any Democrat in the nation, which Nathaniel Rakich ofFiveThirtyEight attributed to increased Republican spending and Moore's progressive pro-marijuana campaign.[78]
In the August 9 Democratic primary, Omar faced former Minneapolis councilmanDon Samuels and three other opponents.[79] The campaign primarily focused on crime and Omar's effectiveness in office.[80] Omar's campaign outspent Samuels's $2.1 million to $800,000; Samuels ran television ads while Omar's campaign did not.[80] Omar won the primary with 50.3% of the vote to Samuels's 48.2%, a margin of less than 2,500 votes.[81]
Omar won the August 13 Democratic primary with 56% of the vote againstDon Samuels, whom she defeated in the 2022 primary, Tim Peterson, and Sarah Gad.[82][83] She was reelected to a fourth term with 75.3% of the vote.[84]
Brian Stelter ofCNN Business found that from January to July 2019 Omar had around twice as many mentions onFox News as on CNN and MSNBC, and about six times the coverage ofJames Clyburn, a Democratic leader in the House of Representatives.[86] ACBS News andYouGov poll of almost 2,100 American adults conducted from July 17 to 19 found that Republican respondents were more aware of Omar than Democratic respondents. Omar has very unfavorable ratings among Republican respondents and favorable ratings among Democratic respondents. The same is true of the other three members of the Squad.[87]
Legislation
In July 2019, Omar introduced a resolution co-sponsored by Rashida Tlaib and Georgia representativeJohn Lewis stating that "all Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad, as protected by theFirst Amendment to the Constitution". The resolution "opposes unconstitutionallegislative efforts to limit the use of boycotts to further civil rights at home and abroad", and "urges Congress, States, and civil rights leaders from all communities to endeavor to preserve the freedom of advocacy for all by opposing anti-boycott resolutions and legislation".[88] In the same month, Omar was one of 17 Congress members to vote against a House resolution condemning the BDS movement.[89]
Speaking after the2021 United States Capitol attack, Omar said the experience was very traumatizing and that the trauma would last a long time. She said she began to fear for her life when the evacuation began and as she was being escorted to a secure area she made a phone call to the father of her children to "make sure he would continue to tell my children that I loved them if I didn't make it out." She said, "The face of the Capitol will forever be changed. They didn't succeed in stopping the functions of democracy, but I do believe they succeeded in ending the openness of our democracy."[97]
Political positions
Omar speaking during her 2020 re-election campaign
Education
Omar supports broader access to student loan forgiveness programs, as well asfree tuition for college students whose family income is below $125,000.[98] Omar supportsBernie Sanders's plan to eliminate all $1.6 trillion in outstandingstudent debt, funded by an 0.5% tax on stock transactions and a 0.1% tax on bond transactions;[99] she introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives.[100] In June 2019, Omar and SenatorTina Smith introduced the No Shame at School Act, which would end the marking of—and punishment for—students withschool meal debt.[101]
Omar has criticizedSaudi Arabia'shuman rights abuses and theSaudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war.[105][106] In October 2018, she tweeted: "The Saudi government might have been strategic at covering up the daily atrocities carried out against minorities, women, activists and even the #YemenGenocide, but themurder of #JamalKhashoggi should be the last evil act they are allowed to commit."[106] She also called for aboycott of Saudi Arabia's regime, tweeting: "#BDSSaudi."[107] The Saudi Arabian government responded by having dozens of anonymous Twittertroll accounts it controlled post tweets critical of Omar.[105]
Omar condemnedChina's treatment of its ethnicUyghur people.[108] In aWashington Post op-ed, Omar wrote, "Our criticisms of oppression and regional instability caused byIran are not legitimate if we do not holdEgypt, theUnited Arab Emirates andBahrain to the same standards. And we cannot continue to turn a blind eye to repression in Saudi Arabia—a country that is consistently ranked among the worst of the worst human rights offenders."[109] She also condemned the Assad regime inSyria.[110] Omar criticized Trump's decision to impose furthersanctions on Iran, saying the sanctions devastated the "country's middle class and increased hostility toward the United States, with tensions between the two countries rising to dangerous levels."[111]
Omar opposed the October2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, writing, "What has happened after Turkey's invasion of northeastern Syria is a disaster—tens of thousands of civilians have been forced to flee, hundreds of Islamic State fighters have escaped, and Turkish-backed rebels have been credibly accused of atrocities against theKurds."[111]
In October 2019, Omar voted "present" on H.Res. 296, torecognize the Armenian genocide,[113] causing a backlash.[114][115] She said in a statement that "accountability and recognition of genocide should not be used as cudgel in a political fight" and argued that such a step should include both theAtlantic slave trade and theNative American genocide.[116] In November, after her controversial vote, Omar publicly condemned the Armenian genocide at a rally for presidential candidateBernie Sanders.[117][118]
Immigration
In a March 2019Politico interview, Omar criticizedBarack Obama's "caging of kids" along the Mexican border.[119][120] Omar accusedPolitico of distorting her comments and said that she had been "saying how [President] Trump is different from Obama, and why we should focus on policy not politics," adding, "One is human, the other is really not."[121]
In June 2019, Omar was one of four Democratic representatives to vote against the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, a $4.5 billion border funding bill that required Customs and Border Protection to enact health standards for individuals in custody such as standards for "medical emergencies; nutrition, hygiene, and facilities; and personnel training." "Throwing more money at the very organizations committing human rights abuses—and the very Administration directing these human rights abuses—is not a solution. This is a humanitarian crisis ... inflicted by our own leadership," she said.[122][123]
While she was in the Minnesota legislature, Omar was critical of theIsraeli government and opposed a law prohibiting the state from working with companies that support theBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.[126] She compared the movement to people who "engage[d] in boycotts" ofapartheid in South Africa.[107] During her House campaign, she said she did not support the BDS movement, describing it as counterproductive to peace.[127][128] After the election her position changed, as her campaign office toldMuslim Girl that she supports the BDS movement despite "reservations on the effectiveness of the movement in accomplishing a lasting solution."[129][130][127] Omar has voiced support for atwo-state solution to resolve theIsraeli–Palestinian conflict.[107][109] She criticized Israel'ssettlement building in the Israeli-occupiedPalestinian territories in theWest Bank.[131]
In 2018, Omar came under criticism for statements she made about Israel before she was in the Minnesota legislature.[126][128] In a 2012 tweet, she wrote, "Israel has hypnotized the world, mayAllah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel."[126][132] The comment, particularly that Israel had "hypnotized the world", was criticized as drawing onantisemitic tropes.[126] Then-The New York Times columnistBari Weiss wrote that Omar's statement tied into a millennia-old "conspiracy theory of the Jew as the hypnotic conspirator".[133] When asked in an interview how she would respond to American Jews who found the remark offensive, Omar replied: "I don't know how my comments would be offensive to Jewish Americans. My comments precisely are addressing what was happening during theGaza War and I'm clearly speaking about the way the Israeli regime was conducting itself in that war."[132] After reading Weiss's commentary, Omar apologized for not "disavowing the anti-Semitic trope I unknowingly used".[134]
In February 2019, RepublicanHouse Minority LeaderKevin McCarthy threatened to "take action" against Omar and Rashida Tlaib for their support of theBDS movement. When journalistGlenn Greenwald responded that it was remarkable "how much time U.S. political leaders spend defending a foreign nation even if it means attacking free speech rights of Americans", and tagged Omar for a comment, she replied with a quote from a hip hop song, "It's All About the Benjamins", alluding to a slang term for U.S.$100 bills. Both Democratic and Republican politiciansaccused her of using an antisemitic trope regarding Jews and money, although some Democratic politicians defended Omar's comment. Omar later said that she was referring to the influence ofpro-Israel lobbyists in the United States, especiallyAIPAC.[137][138]
A number of Democratic leaders—including House SpeakerNancy Pelosi, Majority LeaderSteny Hoyer, and Majority WhipJim Clyburn—condemned the tweet, which was interpreted as implying that money was fueling American politicians' support of Israel.[139] The Democratic House leadership released a statement accusing Omar of "engaging in deeply offensive anti-Semitic tropes".[140] TheJewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) also denounced her statements.[141] Omar issued an apology the next day, saying, "I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes", and adding, "I reaffirm the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry."[140] TheAnti-Defamation League accused her of promoting an "ugly conspiracy theory" about Jewish influence in politics.[142] JournalistPeter Beinart, after tweeting that the controversy was about "policing the American debate over Israel",[143] thought Omar's statement inaccurate, wrong and irresponsible, but argued that her congressional critics were more "bigoted" on Israeli-Palestinian issues than Omar.[144]
On February 27, 2019, Omar said of her critics: "I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country." The statements were quickly criticized as allegedly drawing onantisemitic tropes. House Foreign Affairs Committee chairmanEliot Engel said it was "deeply offensive to call into question the loyalty of fellow American citizens" and asked Omar to retract her statement.[145] House Appropriations Committee chairwomanNita Lowey also called for an apology and criticized the statements in a March 3 tweet, which led to an online exchange between the two. In response, Omar reaffirmed her position, insisting that she "should not be expected to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country in order to serve my country in Congress or serve on committee."[146][147] Omar said she was simply criticizing Israel, drawing a distinction between criticism ofBenjamin Netanyahu and being anti-Semitic.[148][149] Omar's spokesman, Jeremy Slevin, said Omar was speaking out about "the undue influence of lobbying groups for foreign interests."[150]
Reaction among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates was mixed. SenatorsElizabeth Warren,Kamala Harris, andBernie Sanders defended Omar.[151] While SenatorCory Booker found her comments "disturbing", he recognized that some of the attacks against her had "anti-Islamic sentiment".Kirsten Gillibrand said, "those with critical views of Israel should be able to express their views without employing anti-Semitic tropes about money or influence", but also criticized the Republican Party for censuring Omar while saying "little or nothing" when President Trump "defended white supremacists at Charlottesville." New York City MayorBill de Blasio called Omar's remarks "unacceptable".[152][153] According toThe Guardian, election records archived byOpenSecrets "suggest a correlation between pro-Israel lobby campaign contributions and Democratic presidential candidates' position on the controversy."[154] Some members of theCongressional Black Caucus believed Omar was unfairly targeted because she is a black Muslim, saying that "the Democratic leadership did not draft a resolution condemning Donald Trump or other white male Republicans over their antisemitic remarks."[154] The second round of remarks prompted the Democratic leadership to introduce a resolution condemning antisemitism that did not specifically refer to Omar. After objections by a number of congressional progressive Democrats, the resolution was amended to include Islamophobia, racism, and homophobia.[155] On March 7, the House passed the amended resolution. Omar called the resolution "historic on many fronts" and said, "We are tremendously proud to be part of a body that has put forth a condemnation of all forms of bigotry includinganti-Semitism,racism, andwhite supremacy."[156] Some Minnesota Jewish and Muslim community leaders later expressed continuing concern about Omar's statements and indicated that the issue remained divisive in Omar's district.[157]
On March 7, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 407–23 to condemn "anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism and other forms of bigotry" in response to Omar's remarks concerning Israel.[158] On February 2, 2023, the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a resolution, on a party-line vote, to remove Omar from theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee for what SpeakerKevin McCarthy called "repeated antisemitic and anti-American remarks."[159][160] Many prominent House Democrats stood by Omar.[161] On July 18, 2023, she voted against acongressionalnon-binding resolution proposed byAugust Pfluger, which states that "the State of Israel is not aracist orapartheid state", that Congress rejects "all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia", and that "the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel".[162] On October 16, 2023, Omar signed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in theGaza war. She criticized the United States' support forIsrael's bombing of the Gaza Strip thatkilled thousands of Palestinian civilians inGaza.[163] In May 2024, Omar voiced support for theInternational Criminal Court investigation in Palestine, saying that the ICC "must be allowed to conduct its work independently and without interference."[164][165] In August 2024, she criticized the Biden administration'sarms shipments to Israel, saying that "if you really want a ceasefire, you just stop sending the weapons."[166]
Ban from entering Israel
In August 2019, Omar and RepresentativeRashida Tlaib were banned from entering Israel, a reversal from the July 2019 statement byIsraeli Ambassador to the United StatesRon Dermer that "any member of Congress" would be allowed in. IsraeliPrime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu attributed the ban toIsraeli law preventing the entry of people who call for a boycott of Israel (as Omar and Tlaib had done with their support forBDS). Netanyahu also cited Omar and Tlaib listing their destination as Palestine instead of Israel, claiming he thus viewed their visit as an attempt to "hurt Israel and increase its unrest". Netanyahu also said that Omar and Tlaib did not plan on visiting or meeting with any Israeli officials from the government or the opposition, and additionally accused Miftah, the sponsor of Omar's trip, of having members who support terrorism against Israel (in 2016, Israel approved a visit by five U.S. representatives to Israel that Miftah co-sponsored, but that was before Israel enacted its anti-BDS law).[167][168] Less than two hours before the ban, President Trump tweeted that Israel allowing the visit would "show great weakness" when Omar and Tlaib "hate Israel & all Jewish people".[169][170][171][167] Omar said that Netanyahu had caved to Trump's demand and that "Trump's Muslim ban is what Israel is implementing". She responded to Netanyahu that she had intended to meet members of Israel's legislativeKnesset and Israeli security officials. Both Democratic and Republican legislators criticized the ban and requested that Israel rescind it.[172][173] AIPAC released a statement saying that it disagreed with Israel's move and that Omar and Tlaib should have been allowed to "experience Israel firsthand", while the head of theAmerican Jewish Committee put out a statement agreeing with AIPAC on the matter.[174] U.S. RepresentativeMax Rose also criticized the move to ban Omar, saying that Omar and Tlaib did not speak for the Democratic Party.[175]
LGBT rights
In March 2019, Omar addressed a rally in support of a Minnesota bill that would bangay conversion therapy in the state. She co-sponsored a similar bill when she was a member of the Minnesota House.[176] In May 2019, Omar introduced legislation that would sanctionBrunei over a recently introduced law that would make homosexual sex and adultery punishable by death.[177] In June 2019, she participated inTwin Cities Pride inMinnesota.[178] In August 2019, Omar wrote on Twitter in support of thePalestinian LGBT rights groupAl Qaws after thePalestinian Authority banned Al Qaws's activities in theWest Bank.[179][180]
Military policy
Omar has been critical ofU.S. foreign policy, and has called for reducedfunding for "perpetual war and military aggression",[181] saying, "knowing my tax dollars pay for bombs killing children inYemen makes my heart break," with "everyone in Washington saying we don't have enough money in the budget for universal health care, we don't have enough money in the budget to guarantee college education for everyone."[181] Omar has criticized the U.S. government'sdrone assassination program, citing the Obama administration's policy of "droning of countries around the world".[119][120] She has said, "we don't need nearly800 military bases outside the United States to keep our country safe."[109]
In 2019, Omar signed a letter led by RepresentativeRo Khanna and SenatorRand Paul to President Trump asserting that it is "long past time to rein in the use of force that goes beyond congressional authorization" and that they hoped this would "serve as a model for ending hostilities in the future—in particular, as you and your administration seek a political solution to our involvement in Afghanistan."[182][183]
In May 2020, Omar signed a letter backed by AIPAC calling for the continuation of the UN embargo against Iran,[184] with her office noting that it was a "narrow ask that we couldn't find anything wrong with." Her office said that she has opposed human rights abuse "for a long time" and that signing onto it should be not be seen as a sign she supports the Trump administration's policy on Iran.[185]
On July 6, 2023, President Biden authorized the provision ofcluster munitions toUkraine in support of aUkrainian counter-offensive against Russian forces in Russian-occupied southeastern Ukraine.[186] Omar opposed the decision, saying, "We can support the people of Ukraine in their freedom struggle while also opposing violations of international law."[187]
In June 2020, the "defund the police" slogan gained widespread popularity following themurder of George Floyd.Black Lives Matter and other activists used the phrase to call for police budget reductions and a plan to delegate certain police responsibilities to other organizations. Reacting to the murder of Floyd, the majority of theMinneapolis City Council voted to dismantle the city's police department. In a statement, the Minneapolis mayor said they planned to work to address "systemic racism in police culture".[189][190] Following the murder of Floyd, Omar supported thepolice abolition movement in Minneapolis that sought to dismantle theMinneapolis Police Department, saying that the department had "proven themselves beyond reform."[190] Omar hoped to see a new police department that would be modeled after theCamden County Police Department in New Jersey.[citation needed]
TikTok
Omar has opposed aTikTok ban.[191] In March 2024, she raisedFirst Amendment concerns in opposinga bill that would ban the app if its Chinese owner did not sell, saying: "We should create actual standards & regulations around privacy violations across social media companies—not target platforms we don't like."[192]
On March 12, Omar was asked about TikTok-related national security concerns, such as China using the app to ramp up divisions in the U.S., and replied, "We had an intel briefing, and none of the information that was provided to us really was persuasive in the fact that there is anything to be really concerned", adding, "for the first time in our nation's history, Americans have access to real images [through TikTok] of the horrors that are experienced by Palestinians daily."[193][194]
Venezuela crisis
In January 2019, amid theVenezuelan presidential crisis, Omar joined DemocratsRo Khanna andTulsi Gabbard in denouncing the Trump administration's decision to recognizeJuan Guaidó, the president of theVenezuelan National Assembly, as Venezuela's interim president.[195] She described Trump's action as a "U.S. backed coup" and said that the U.S. should not "hand pick" foreign leaders[196] and should support "Mexico, Uruguay & the Vatican's efforts to facilitate a peaceful dialogue."[195] In response to criticisms of her comments, Omar wrote that "No one is defending Maduro" and that opposing US intervention is not the equivalent of supporting the existing leadership of a country.[197]
In February 2019, Omar questioned whetherElliott Abrams, whom Trump appointed as Special Representative for Venezuela in January 2019, was the correct choice given his past support of right-wing authoritarian regimes inEl Salvador andGuatemala, his initial doubts about the number of reported deaths in theEl Mozote massacre in 1982, and his two 1991 misdemeanor convictions for withholding information from Congress about theIran–Contra affair, for which he was later pardoned byGeorge H. W. Bush.[198][199]
On February 4, 2014, Omar was attacked and wounded by multiple attendees during aDFL caucus forMinnesota's House of Representatives District 60B.[201] She was organizing the event and was a policy aide to Minneapolis City CouncilmanAndrew Johnson at the time. She sustained a concussion and was sent to the hospital.[202]
Death threats
In February 2019, theFBI arrestedUnited States Coast Guard LieutenantChristopher Paul Hasson, who was allegedly plotting to assassinate various journalists and political figures in the United States, including Omar. According to prosecutors, Hasson is a self-described "long time White Nationalist" and former skinhead who wanted to use violence to "establish a white homeland." Prosecutors also alleged that Hasson was in contact with an American neo-Nazi leader, stockpiled weapons, and compiled a hit list.[203]
On April 7, 2019, Patrick Carlineo Jr., was arrested for threatening to assault and murder Omar in a phone call to her office. He reportedly told investigators that he did not want Muslims in the government.[204][205] In May 2019, Carlineo was released from custody and placed onhouse arrest.[206] He pleaded guilty to the offense on November 19.[207] Omar asked the court to be lenient with him.[208]
In April 2019, Omar said that she had received more death threats after Trump made comments about her and 9/11, "many directly referencing or replying to the president's video".[209] In August 2019, she published an anonymous threat she had received of being shot at theMinnesota State Fair, saying that such threats were why she now had security protection.[210] In September 2019, she asserted Trump was putting her life in danger by retweeting a tweet falsely claiming she had "partied on the anniversary of 9/11".[211]
Two Republican candidates for congressional office have called for Omar's execution.[212] In November 2019, Danielle Stella, Omar's Republican opponent for Congress, was banned from Twitter for suggesting that Omar be hanged for treason if found guilty of passing information to Iran.[207] In December 2019, George Buck, another Republican running for Congress, also suggested that Omar be hanged for treason. In response, Buck was removed from theNational Republican Congressional Committee's Young Guns program.[213] Neither candidate won their primary election.[214][215]
"Go back to their countries" Trump tweet
On July 14, 2019, Trump tweeted thatThe Squad—a group that consists of Omar and three other young congresswomen of color, most of whom were born and raised in the U.S.—should"go back" to the "places from which they came".[216][217][218] In response, Omar said Trump was "stokingwhite nationalism" because he was "angry that people like us are serving in Congress and fighting against your hate-filled agenda."[218] Two days later, the House of Representatives voted 240–187 to condemn Trump's "racist comments".[219] On July 17, it was reported that theU.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lists the phrase "Go back to where you came from" as an example of "harassment based on national origin".[220]
At a July 17 campaign rally in North Carolina, Trump made additional comments about The Squad: "They never have anything good to say. That's why I say, 'Hey if you don't like it, let 'em leave, let 'em leave'", and "I think in some cases they hate our country".[221] He made a series of false and misleading claims about Omar, including allegations that she had praisedal-Qaeda and "smeared" American soldiers who had fought in theBattle of Mogadishu by bringing up the numerous Somali civilian casualties.[222][223][224] The crowd reacted by chanting, "Send her back, Send her back."[225][226] Trump later called the crowd "incredible people, incredible patriots" and accused Omar of racism and antisemitism.[227] On July 19, he falsely claimed that Omar and the rest of The Squad had used the term "evil Jews".[228]
Foreign media has widely covered Trump's remarks about Omar and The Squad. The social media hashtag #IStandWithIlhanOmar was soon trending in the United States and other countries.[229] Many foreign politicians condemned Trump's comments. On July 19, German ChancellorAngela Merkel said, "I reject [Trump's comments] and stand in solidarity with the congresswomen he targeted."[229]
Target of online hate speech
Omar has frequently been the target ofonline hate speech.[230][231] According to a study by theSocial Science Research Council of more than 113,000 tweets about Muslim candidates in the weeks leading up to the 2018 midterm elections, Omar "was the prime target. Roughly half of the 90,000 tweets mentioning her included hate speech or Islamophobic or anti-immigrant language."[232][233] According to the study, "Key themes included Muslims as subhumans or 'Trojan horses' seeking to impose Shariah law on America.... A large proportion of these trolls were likely bots or automated accounts run by people, organizations or state actors seeking to spread political propaganda and hate speech. That's based on telltale iconography, naming patterns, webs of linkages and the breadth of the postelection scrubbing."[233]
9/11 comments and World Trade Center cover
On April 11, 2019, the front page of theNew York Post carried an image of theWorld Trade Center burning following theSeptember 11 terrorist attacks and a quotation from a speech Omar gave the previous month. The headline read, "REP. ILHAN OMAR: 9/11 WAS 'SOME PEOPLE DID SOMETHING'", and a caption underneath added, "Here's your something ... 2,977 people dead by terrorism."[234] ThePost was quoting a speech Omar had given at a recentCouncil on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) meeting. In the speech Omar said, "CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us [Muslims in the U.S.] were starting to lose access to our civil liberties." (CAIR was founded in 1994, but many new members joined after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.)[235][236]
On April 12, President Trump retweeted a video that edited Omar's remarks to remove context, showing her saying, "Some people did something."[237][238][239][240] Some Democratic representatives condemned Trump's retweet, predicting that it would incite violence and hatred. House SpeakerNancy Pelosi called on Trump to "take down his disrespectful and dangerous video" and asked the U.S. Capitol Police to increase its protection of Omar.[241][242]
Speaking at an April 30 protest by black women calling for formal censure of Trump,[243] Omar blamed Trump and his allies for inciting Americans against both Jews and Muslims.[244]
Comments by Lauren Boebert
In November 2021, Republican RepresentativeLauren Boebert said she had shared an elevator with Omar, and that she and a Capitol Police officer both mistook Omar for a terrorist. Boebert referred to Omar as the "Jihad Squad".[245] Omar said that she had not shared an elevator with Boebert, that the story was made up, and that Boebert's comments were "anti-Muslim bigotry".[246][247]
Electoral history
2016
Minnesota State Representative District 60B Democratic primary, 2016[248]
Omar received the 2015 Community Leadership Award fromMshale, an African immigrant media outlet based in Minneapolis. The prize is awarded annually on a readership basis.[257]
In 2017,Time magazine named Omar among its "Firsts: Women who are changing the world," a special report on 46 women who broke barriers in their respective disciplines, and featured her on the cover of its September 18 issue.[258] Her family was named one of the "five families who are changing the world as we know it" byVogue in their February 2018 issue featuring photographs byAnnie Leibovitz.[259]
Following a July 2019 tweet by Trump thatThe Squad—a group that consists of Omar and three other congresswomen of color who were born in the United States—should"go back" to the "places from which they came",[216] Omar and the other members of the Squad held a press conference that was taped byCNN and posted to social media.[264]
On October 19, 2020, Omar joined Ocasio-Cortez,Disguised Toast,Jacksepticeye, andPokimane in a Twitch stream playing the popular gameAmong Us, encouraging streamers to vote in the 2020 election. This collaboration garnered almost half a million views.[265]
Personal life
In 2002, Omar became engaged to Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi (né Aden). She has said they had an unofficial,faith-based Islamic marriage. The couple had two children together,[2][4] includingIsra Hirsi, one of the three principal organizers of theschool strike for climate in the US.[266] Omar has said that she and Hirsi divorced within their faith tradition in 2008.[2][4]
In 2009, Omar married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, aBritish Somali.[2] According to Omar, in 2011 she and Elmi had afaith-based divorce and she reconciled with Hirsi, with whom she had a third child in 2012.[267][2] In 2017, Elmi and Omar legally divorced,[55] and Omar and Hirsi legally married in 2018.[36] On October 7, 2019, Omar filed for divorce from Hirsi, citing an "irretrievable breakdown" of the marriage.[268] The divorce was finalized on November 5, 2019.[4][5]
In March 2020, Omar married Tim Mynett, a political consultant whose political consulting firm, the E Street Group, received $2.78 million in contracts from Omar's campaign during the 2020 cycle.[269][270][271] The campaign's contract with Mynett's firm became a focus of criticism by her Democratic primary opponent and conservative critics that received significant local and national media attention.[272][273] On November 17, 2020, Omar's campaign terminated its contract with Mynett's firm, saying the termination was to "make sure that anybody who is supporting our campaign with their time or financial support feels there is no perceived issue with that support."[274]
In 2020,HarperCollins published Omar's memoir,This Is What America Looks Like, written with Rebecca Paley.[275]
^Omar has stated that she and Hirsi married within their faith tradition in 2002. The couple had two children. Omar has stated that she and Hirsi divorced within their faith tradition in 2008. They reconciled and had a third child in 2012.[3] Omar and Hirsi were legally married in 2018.[2] Their divorce was finalized on November 5, 2019.[4][5]
^"Excerpts".NDSU Magazine. Vol. 14, no. 1. North Dakota State University. Winter 2017.Archived from the original on July 8, 2018. RetrievedApril 6, 2019.
^Flynn, Meagan (February 1, 2019)."A Jewish Republican called Ilhan Omar anti-Semitic. She suggested he's Islamophobic. Then came a voice mail".The Washington Post.Archived from the original on March 11, 2019. RetrievedFebruary 1, 2019.Bari Weiss, aNew York Times columnist, explained to Omar why many Jews found it so offensive in a biting commentary last week that prompted Omar to backpedal and apologize for not putting enough energy into "disavowing the anti-Semitic trope I unknowingly used."
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