During a press conference on Wednesday, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is seen giggling and talking to her colleagues while she is standing behind Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), who was discussing U.S. troops killed in war.
“I’m very glad to say that I was part of the 132 and also the vote for Barbara Lee’s amendment, but I think that the point of that is that that is the same war that we’re dealing with today,” Lee said. “We never solved any problems with AUMF, we left 4,000-plus, maybe even 4400 dead, and over 60,000 who came back injured in some form and the war never ended.”
Rather than stand silently behind her colleague as she spoke, Omar became a distraction when she starting laughing and turning around to talk to her Democratic colleagues.
“I recall the language in AUMF, it deals with hostilities in Iraq,” Lee continued. “It doesn’t deal with an incident or a dislike or someone in a car coming in from the airport. That is the danger of not acting and I do think with our leadership, meaning the leadership CPC, that will come together around specific answers.”
Heard from multiple U.S. troops today who were absolutely enraged by Democrat Ilhan Omar laughing while her colleague talked about Americans who have been killed in battle https://t.co/Qu2i0gbDc6
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) January 9, 2020
Ilhan Omar laughs and jokes around as her colleague discusses U.S. casualties in Iraqhttps://t.co/LfpLyXLPQG pic.twitter.com/R28SVlIqq5
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 8, 2020
As Matt covered, Omar said during the press conference that tensions with Iran have left her feeling "a little bit" ill.
"And I think every time I hear about—I hear of conversations around war, I find myself being stricken with PTSD. And I find peace knowing that I serve with great advocates for peace and people who have shown courage against war," Omar said.