Umar Farooq
12 February 2019•Update: 13 February 2019
By Umar Farooq
WASHINGTON
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said freshman congresswoman Ilhan Omar should resign following comments she made that were critical of Israel's influence in American politics.
"I think she should either resign from Congress or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee," Trump said in a Cabinet meeting.
"Anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress," Trump added, calling Omar's apology "lame."
Omar, along with Rashida Tlaib, is one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, said Sunday suggested congressional support for Israel is firmly rooted in political donations from pro-Israel groups, most prominently the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.
"It's all about the Benjamins baby 🎶," Omar wrote in a Twitter post that subtweeted a story about House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy threatening "action" against Omar and Tlaib for comments critical of Israel.
The tweet received hefty criticism from Republicans and Democrats, who called the post "anti-Semitic".
After facing pressure from the Democratic Party, Omar issued an apology for her comments, yet maintained = there is a "problematic role of lobbyists in our politics," pointing to not only AIPAC but the National Rifle Association and the fossil fuel lobby.
"Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes, Omar said in a statement posted Monday. "My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole."
