Donald Trump Mocks Ilhan Omar A Day After Man Was Arrested For Making Death Threats Against Her
A day after a New York man, 55-year-old Patrick Carlineo, was arrested for making death threats against Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Donald Trump mocked her during a speech in Las Vegas.
Speaking to members of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Trump was listing out the names of prominent conservative lawmakers and supporters of Israel when he suddenly snuck in Omar’s name.
“Special thanks to Representative Omar of Minnesota. Oh, I forgot. She doesn’t like Israel. I forgot. I’m so sorry,” Trump said, according to Bloomberg.
Trump was referring to the comments made by Ilhan Omar on Twitter where she suggested that support for the Jewish state was down to the financial overreaches of the pro-Israel lobby in America. Although Omar clarified her views on the matter after her comments were condemned in a bipartisan manner, it has given enough ammunition to her detractors to accuse her of anti-Semite sentiment.
Omar went on to claim that she was against any form of discrimination and that her comments on Israel were not a means to disparage a certain group. She said that her intention was to rekindle the discourse surrounding the abiding Israel-Palestine conflict, but not everyone seems to have been convinced by her reasoning.
As reported by The Inquisitr, her recent comments led the New York man, Carlineo, to call her office and threaten Omar with death.
“Do you work for the Muslim Brotherhood?” he reportedly asked the staffer, before going on an expletive-ridden rant in which he accused the Minnesota freshman of being a “terrorist.”
But what is probably even more worrisome is the reason given by Patrick Carlineo for threatening Omar. When federal officers nabbed him in his home late last month, Carlineo said that he was a massive Donald Trump supporter who didn’t like Muslims being elected to Congress.
Trump says Ilhan Omar "doesn't like Israel," a day after a man was arrested and charged with threatening to kill her https://t.co/qczJ1FuqTn pic.twitter.com/tOzh40Cwds
— The Hill (@thehill) April 6, 2019
President Trump speaks to the Republican Jewish Coalition: "And a special thanks to Rep. Omar of Minnesota. Oh, oh — oh, I forgot. She doesn't like Israel, I forgot. I'm so sorry. Oh. No she doesn't like Israel, does she?" pic.twitter.com/m40iUKPUfW
— The Hill (@thehill) April 6, 2019
Trump has a worrying history when it comes to promoting divisive politics. Critics often accuse the president of using inflammatory rhetoric against opponents, with the argument that his actions tend to embolden his supporters. His comments against Ilhan Omar may well be seen in that light. Because of the fact that it came just a day after Carlineo was arrested for issuing the Minnesota Democrat death threats, it is possible it will be interpreted by some as a sort of validation of the New York’s man actions. At any rate, it remains highly unlikely that Trump will condemn Patrick Carlineo, but he seems to have condemned Omar without a doubt.
