Rep. Lauren Boebert refuses to publicly apologize to Rep. Ilhan Omar over ‘terrorist’ remark

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., called Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., on Monday and claimed the Colorado Republican refused to publicly apologize for insinuating she was a terrorist.

“Today, I graciously accepted a call from Rep. Lauren Boebert in the hope of receiving a direct apology for falsely claiming she met me in an elevator, suggesting I was a terrorist, and for a history of anti-Muslim hate. Instead of apologizing for her Islamophobic comments and fabricated lies, Rep. Boebert refused to publicly acknowledge her hurtful and dangerous comments. She instead doubled down on her rhetoric and I decided to end the unproductive call.” Omar said in a new statement.

“I believe in engaging with those we disagree with respectfully, but not when that disagreement is rooted in outright bigotry and hate”

Omar added, “To date, the Republican Party leadership has done nothing to condemn and hold their own members accountable for repeated instances of anti-Muslim hate and harassment. This is not about one hateful statement or one politician; it is about a party that has mainstreamed bigotry and hatred.  It is time for Republican Leader McCarthy to actually hold his party accountable.” 

In a video shared to Twitter last week, Boebert referred to Omar as a member of the “Jihad Squad” and claimed that after an interaction in an elevator on Capitol Hill, a Capitol Police officer mistook her for a terrorist.

She was condemned by Democrats and some Republicans for the remarks and apologized on Twitter Friday “to anyone in the Muslim community I offended,” adding that she had reached out to Omar’s office to speak with her directly.

In an Instagram video , Boebert said she refused to make a public apology directly to Omar and instead demanded the Minnesota Democrat apologize for her “Anti-American” rhetoric.

“Rejecting an apology and hanging up on someone is part of cancel culture 101, and a pillar of the Democrat Party. Make no mistake, I will continue to put America first, never sympathizing with terrorists,” Boebert said in her video. “Unfortunately, Ilhan can’t say the same thing, and our country is worse off for it.”