Laura Loomer: Since Twitter Is Banning Me, It Should Also Ban Ilhan Omar
Conservative political activist Laura Loomer believes that because Twitter decided to ban her for describing Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota as being “anti-Jewish,” the social media company should also ban the Democratic lawmaker.
In a tweet in November, Loomer wrote that the then-congresswoman-elect is “anti-Jewish” and is a member of a religion in which “homosexuals are oppressed” and “women are abused” and “forced to wear the hijab,” NBC News reported.
According to Loomer, Twitter kicked her off the platform because her tweet violated the company’s hate speech policy.
The activist noted that Omar has been reprimanded and forced to apologize by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders for anti-semitic tweets, but she has not faced any punishment by Twitter.
“If somebody has to apologize for anti-semitism, doesn’t that mean they’re ‘anti-Jewish’? And if that’s the case … then why am I banned on Twitter? It’s because of the bias.” Loomer told The Western Journal at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week.
Last month, Omar suggested in a tweet that the reason Israel enjoys such strong support in the Congress is that it pays lawmakers off.
“It’s all about the Benjamins baby,” the freshman congresswoman wrote, in reference to $100 bills.
Omar stirred new controversy last week, when she said at a bookstore event, “I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country,” The Hill reported.
The legislator — who is among the first two Muslim American women elected to Congress — doubled down over the weekend, in response to criticism from fellow Democrat Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, who is Jewish American.
Our democracy is built on debate, Congresswoman! I should not be expected to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country in order to serve my country in Congress or serve on committee. The people of the 5th elected me to serve their interest. I am sure we agree on that! https://t.co/gglAS4FVJW
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) March 3, 2019
“I should not be expected to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country in order to serve my country in Congress or serve on committee,” Omar tweeted.
Two tropes that have been leveled against Jewish people over the centuries is that they use money to control the levers of power from behind the scenes and question their loyalty to their home country.
Rep. Eliot Engel — who is also Jewish American and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on which Omar serves — called his Democratic colleague’s remarks “a vile anti-Semitic slur.”
“Her comments were outrageous and deeply hurtful, and I ask that she retract them, apologize, and commit to making her case on policy issues without resorting to attacks that have no place in the Foreign Affairs Committee or the House of Representatives,” Engel said in a statement.
Democrats plan to offer a resolution on Wednesday condemning anti-Semitism, though a draft released of the document does not mention Omar by name, Politico reported.
President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, have called for the congresswoman to be removed from the Foreign Affairs Committee in light of her anti-Semitic views.
Trump tweeted on Tuesday, “Representative Ilhan Omar is again under fire for her terrible comments concerning Israel. Jewish groups have just sent a petition to Speaker Pelosi asking her to remove Omar from Foreign Relations Committee. A dark day for Israel!”
Representative Ilhan Omar is again under fire for her terrible comments concerning Israel. Jewish groups have just sent a petition to Speaker Pelosi asking her to remove Omar from Foreign Relations Committee. A dark day for Israel!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2019
Loomer made headlines in January when she set up a “processing center” for migrants on Pelosi’s front lawn in Napa Valley, California.
She followed that up with an event at California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s home, where she was charged with trespassing.
Loomer told The Western Journal that she has hired a lawyer and plans to contest the charge.
“I’m going to be fighting this because I don’t know what trespassing is,” she said. “I’m going to fight this in court because you can’t say that everyone is welcome here, and there are no borders, and that borders are immoral, walls are immoral, and then arrest me and have me cited and charged for trespassing.”
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