Omar Defendsheckling at State of the Union
Rep. Ilhan Omar said her interruption was 'unavoidable' after accusing the president of responsibility for two constituents' deaths in January.
Overview
Rep. Ilhan Omar said Wednesday she has no regrets for shouting at President Donald Trump during his State of the Union address.
Omar said the outburst was "unavoidable" because she wanted to remind the president that Renee Good and Alex Pretti were fatally shot by federal immigration agents in January.
Wolf Blitzer pressed Omar about whether she violated House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries's advice to skip the address or protest silently, and one of Omar's guests, Aliya Rahman, was reportedly arrested by Capitol Police.
Omar was seated beside Rep. Rashida Tlaib and said she attended with four guests from Minnesota to bear witness, while some Democrats had previously criticized interruptions of President Joe Biden's State of the Union address.
Omar said attending mattered so her constituents could see her there to hold space for people she said have been terrorized, traumatized and who lived through an occupation from federal law enforcement.
Analysis
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FAQ
Rep. Ilhan Omar shouted 'You have killed Americans' while accusing the president of responsibility for the deaths of constituents Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Aliya Rahman was a guest of Rep. Omar from Minneapolis who stood briefly during the protest, was forcibly removed by Capitol Police despite warnings about her injured shoulders, hospitalized, and charged with unlawful conduct and disruption of Congress.
Omar said the outburst was 'unavoidable' to remind the president about the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in January, and to hold space for terrorized constituents.
The interruption occurred as President Trump discussed immigration, sanctuary city policies, and criticized Democrats for supporting them, prompting shouts from Omar and Tlaib.
