Rep. Ilan Omar calls on Americans to take "guise of White supremacy" more seriously
"For far too long, people have not taken it seriously.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., joined "GMA3: What You Need To Know" on Friday to discuss President Donald Trump's second impeachment proceedings, the insurrection at the Capitol, and the uptick in activity from White supremacist groups across the country.
"We have been so focused and so conditioned to be fearful of the external threats that we have that we forgot to look at the internal threats," Omar said. "The guise of White supremacy has proven to be very deadly for our country and for its people, and for far too long, people have not taken it seriously."
Omar cited law enforcement's delayed response in last week's Capitol riot as "very different" than the police response to the "uprising that was happening in the summer for the lives of Black people."
The congresswoman went on to call on Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to "immediately reconvene the Senate for the impeachment trial" of President Trump after the House passed a resolution to remove him from office.
Omar has been particularly vocal in calling for President Trump's removal in the days following the insurrection at the Capitol that left five dead, including a police officer. She drafted articles of impeachment against Trump, placing blame squarely on the president for his “open act of sedition” against the government, before co-sponsoring Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline's impeachment resolution that was ultimately passed as it had more support among House Democratic leadership.
When asked about ongoing security threats to members of Congress, including Omar herself, the Minnesota representative remained resilient and called on both her Democratic and Republican colleagues to do the same.
"I do believe that it takes courage to serve," Omar said. "If you are too afraid to do the work on behalf of your constituents and the country, you should think about resigning."
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