Omar says McCarthy following playbook ‘used by demagogues throughout history’

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Sunday said Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is following a political playbook “used by demagogues throughout history” by trying to “pit minority groups against each other” in his bid to remove her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

McCarthy has accused Omar, one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, of “repeated antisemitic and anti-American remarks” in explaining his bid to sanction her.

Omar has apologized for comments that critics said echoed antisemitic tropes, while defending her criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

In a thread on Twitter Sunday night, Omar cited repeated examples of Republicans making offensive comments about Jewish people and Muslims, and accused McCarthy of demagoguery.

“McCarthy is following a well worn playbook: pit minority groups against each other in order to further marginalize them. It has been used by demagogues throughout history and it won’t work,” Omar said on Twitter.

McCarthy “did nothing” when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) “said Muslims don’t belong in our government” and when Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) called Omar “a terrorist,” the lawmaker argued.

“He did nothing when MTG wanted [Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)] & I kicked out of Congress unless we swore in on a Christian Bible. Spare me the GOP hypocrisy,” Omar said.

Omar and Tlaib were the first Muslim women in Congress, while Omar is also the first Somali American.