Lauren Boebert apologizes for Islamophobic story, but Omar says Pelosi and McCarthy 'need to take appropriate action'
- Lauren Boebert apologized to Ilhan Omar on Friday after making anti-Muslim comments during a campaign event.
- "I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar," she said.
Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado apologized on Friday after facing a barrage of criticism for telling a story implying that Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was a terrorist.
"I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar," wrote Boebert on Twitter. "I have reached out to her office to speak with her directly. There are plenty of policy differences to focus on without this unnecessary distraction."
Omar's office declined to comment on Boebert's apology, but shortly afterwards, the Minnesota congresswoman called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to take action against Boebert.
"Saying I am a suicide bomber is no laughing matter," she wrote on Twitter. "Anti-Muslim bigotry has no place in Congress."
A video posted on Twitter on Thursday by PatriotTakes — an organization that researches and monitors "the extremism and radicalization of the far right" — showed Boebert at a campaign event recounting a supposed run-in with Omar at the US Capitol where they both work in the House of Representatives.
Boebert said she stepped onto an elevator with Omar on her way back to her office after a vote, prompting a Capitol Police officer to run towards the elevator with "fret all over his face." Boebert describes being confused about the encounter before noticing Omar standing in the elevator with her.
"Well, she doesn't have a backpack. We should be fine," Boebert said she told the officer.
Boebert said she then turned to Omar and added, "Oh look, the Jihad Squad decided to show up for work today." "Jihad Squad" is a derisive term for the Squad, a group of six progressive members of Congress who are all people of color.
Democrats critcized Boebert for being Islamophobic while Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger called the Colorado congresswoman "TRASH."
Omar responded to the video on Twitter, denying the story while calling Boebert a "buffoon" and saying the far-right Colorado congresswoman "looks down when she sees me at the Capitol."
"This whole story is made up. Sad she thinks bigotry gets her clout," Omar continued. "Anti-Muslim bigotry isn't funny & shouldn't be normalized. Congress can't be a place where hateful and dangerous Muslims tropes get no condemnation."