Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) was chased down the halls of Congress by a persistent reporter for FOX Business who asked her if controversial Islamic influencer Hasan Piker and his views and associations with the Democratic Party might ultimately cost a lot of candidates their chances at victory during the general election this November.
A video clip of the encounter is going viral on social media. In it, you can hear the reporter ask Omar, “Are you concerned Hasan Piker might cost the Democrats the elections in November?” Omar, who has a reputation for avoiding tough questions, deflected by saying, “I don’t know.” The reporter continued to press the congresswoman on the topic.
“But he, you know, we’re 10 days from 9/11. He said, you know, America deserved 9/11. He hates America. Are you concerned this might have ramifications?” he asked Omar. She replied, “I’m just concerned about the people that they associate themselves with costing them the elections.” The reporter asked, “So you’re not concerned about Hasan Piker?”
“Well, do something about your Republicans,” she said, which had absolutely nothing to do with the question she was asked. According to a report from ABC4 News, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who has close connections with Piker, denounced the influencer over his 9/11 comments when asked about them by the media.
The report revealed that El-Sayed has maintained a working relationship with Piker despite the many controversial and morally questionable statements he has made during his livestreams and video content. “It was a dumb statement,” El-Sayed said during an interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press. “And, of course, I think Hasan, himself, would say that was a dumb statement. He disavowed it.”
When the controversy over his 9/11 comments blew up, Piker quickly tried to walk back what he said during an appearance on the left-wing talk show The Young Turks, claiming the statement was made to place emphasis on the negative impacts of U.S. involvement in Middle Eastern affairs, which he claims destabilized the area.
“I was simply referencing the fact that all of the foreign policy decisions and our arming of insurgent groups in the region and our efforts in destabilizing the Middle East have a direct consequence, a boomerang effect, rather, if you will, in causing 9/11,” Piker stated during his appearance on the show. As far as Omar’s response to the FOX Business reporter, it’s par for the course when confronting her on issues.
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A report from Fox News detailed the time she refused to engage when a reporter from the network asked her if she would cooperate with an investigation into Minnesota’s “Feeding Our Future” scheme, which was steeped in fraud. Omar herself is accused of being connected to individuals involved in the scandal that cost taxpayers roughly $250 million.
However, when she was asked about her connections, the congresswoman stayed silent. “Did you ask Minnesota Democrats to block the subpoena for the investigation of Feeding Our Future on the state level?” the reporter asked her. She did not offer a response. The reporter followed up by asking, “Would you cooperate with that subpoena and provide documents if they request it here in the House Oversight Committee?” Again, she said nothing.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video