“As a black woman and as a Muslim in this country, I refuse to join the chorus that changes the history of what is on the record from this man.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) doubled down on her criticism of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an interview with Don Lemon, saying she has “nothing to apologize for” and dismissing any effort to portray Kirk’s work as honorable.
“I have nothing to apologize for,” Omar told Lemon. “You know, it is a tragedy that Charlie Kirk was killed in that way. I feel for his widow and his children. They will have to live with that for the rest of their lives. But there is no legacy to honor. It was a legacy filled with bigotry, hatred and white supremacy.”
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Omar said that her refusal to soften her stance comes from her Muslim identity and that she's a black lady: “As a black woman and as a Muslim in this country, I refuse to join the chorus that changes the history of what is on the record from this man,” she said. “And so, you know, Nancy Mace, the president, like whatever. These crazy people can do whatever they want to do. But I am not going to be bullied into complacency, into dishonoring who I am and what I stand for just to, you know, make them feel comfortable. Yeah, it’s not going to happen.”
This isn’t the first time Omar has sparked outrage with her remarks about Kirk.
Earlier this month, she defended a video she posted calling him “Dr. Frankenstein,” which claimed “his monster shot him through the neck.” CNN host Kaitlan Collins pressed Omar about the post, saying many found it shocking after Kirk’s death. Omar said, “What I find jarring is that there’s so many people willing to excuse the most reprehensible things that he said… that they want to produce resolutions in the House of Congress, honoring his life and legacy. It is one thing to care about his life, because obviously so many people loved him, including his children and wife.”
She continued, “I am not going to sit here, and be judged for not wanting to honor any legacy this man has left behind, that should be in the dustbin of history, and we should hopefully move on and forget the hate that he spewed every single day.”
Republican lawmakers moved to censure Omar over her remarks, but the effort failed. A resolution introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) was narrowly tabled 214–213 after four Republicans sided with Democrats. Mace accused Omar of having “smeared Charlie Kirk and implied he was to blame for his own murder.”
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