Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar says she is receiving increasing death threats since Donald Trump posted an altered video of her statements on the September 11, 2001, attacks, according to The Hill .
On Sunday night, Omar put out a statement saying she had received death threats by many people who were directly referencing the Trump video.
“Since the President’s tweet Friday evening, I have experienced an increase in direct threats on my life — many directly referencing or replying to the President’s video,” Omar wrote in a statement.
“Violent rhetoric and all forms of hate speech have no place in our society, much less from our country’s Commander in Chief. We are all Americans. This is endangering lives. It has to stop.”
As reported by The Inquisitr , Trump has faced backlash for sharing an edited video of a speech Ilhan Omar made to the Council on Islamic-American Relations (CAIR) back in March. Intercutting isolated words used by Omar during the speech with images of the attack, Trump insinuated that Omar was belittling the attacks.
Almost immediately, the president received blowback for his “dangerous” tweet, with fellow freshman congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez saying that Trump could threaten Ilhan Omar’s life with his tweet, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Democratic presidential contestants Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Beto O’Rourke all condemning Trump.
On Sunday, Pelosi said she was making sure that extra security would be provided to Omar to keep her safe.
“Following the President’s tweet, I spoke with the Sergeant-at-Arms to ensure that Capitol Police are conducting a security assessment to safeguard Congresswoman Omar, her family and her staff. They will continue to monitor and address the threats she faces,” Pelosi said in a statement.
The women’s advocacy group, Women’s March, urged Twitter to suspend Donald Trump’s account for “sharing propaganda videos trafficking in hate speech and inciting real violence” against Omar, according to Newsweek . It is an assertion which appears to have been validated in light of the increasing death threats being faced by Omar.
Rep. Ilhan Omar says she has experienced an increase in death threats in the days since President Trump tweeted about a speech she gave last month https://t.co/N8mAzcVRVe pic.twitter.com/RL3SM7L3LK
— CNN (@CNN) April 15, 2019
It’s not only Democratic lawmakers speaking out, but even the conservative media has slammed Trump for his tweet. As reported earlier, Fox News’s Geraldo Rivera compared the treatment being received by Ilhan Omar to John F. Kennedy, saying her Muslim identity has made her subject of attacks by America’s president.
“This is not whining…This is an existential threat. She’s getting death threats on a daily basis,” Rivera said, urging the Republicans not to attack the Minnesota congresswoman.
