Rep. Rashida Tlabi (D-MI) came under fire for making rather anti-Semitic comments about how the Holocaust gave her a "calming feeling." Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Republican Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) condemned her comments and called on Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) to do the same.
President Donald Trump also chimed in on the controversy, saying Tlaib's comments prove she's anti-Semitic and has issues with the Jewish people:
Democrat Rep. Tlaib is being slammed for her horrible and highly insensitive statement on the Holocaust. She obviously has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people. Can you imagine what would happen if I ever said what she said, and says?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2019
Naturally, Tlaib's team attempted to spin what she said. Instead of focusing on what she did say, Tlaib is making it sound as though Republicans are doing everything in their power to attack her. Apparently calling out her anti-Semitism is now "policing" her words and using them "to ignite vile attacks" on her.
Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work. All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 13, 2019
Even though Pelosi and Hoyer were called on to condemn Tlaib, they instead backed her.
Republicans’ desperate attempts to smear @RepRashida & misrepresent her comments are outrageous. President @realDonaldTrump & House GOP should apologize to Rep. Tlaib & the American people for their gross misrepresentations.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) May 13, 2019
If you read Rep. @RashidaTlaib’s comments, it is clear that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are taking them out of context. They must stop, and they owe her an apology.
— Steny Hoyer (@LeaderHoyer) May 13, 2019
Naturally, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) came to Tlaib's defense. And, she spun the criticisms as "Islamophobia."
Give it up, we all know you never met a Muslim you didn’t want to vilify!
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 13, 2019
Your deep seeded hate and Islamophobia might be a tool to rally your base, but won’t get rid your colleagues. You just have to deal ??????? https://t.co/hMvvxLnmp5
What's surprising though, is that Tlaib's biggest supporter was none other than 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
Mr. President: Stop dividing the American people up by their religion, their race or their country of origin--and stop your ugly attacks against Muslim women in Congress. You are taking Rep. @RashidaTlaib's comments out of context and should apologize. https://t.co/QlYNn46zXQ
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 13, 2019
Thanks Amo @BernieSanders. Individual-1 is a lawless President that will do anything to distract the American people from the fact he is hurting our country, our democracy and our future. We will fight against hate together, and be stronger for it. https://t.co/DLkQe0cFDH
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 13, 2019
And Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) even seems to think this is a hateful attack on Muslim-American women in Congress.
First, it was @IlhanMN. Now, it's no coincidence that @RashidaTlaib is on the receiving end of the latest hateful Republican smear campaign.
— Earl Blumenauer (@repblumenauer) May 13, 2019
People should seek the truth & read her comments. The incessant vilification of the first Muslim-American women in Congress is shameful.
We even had a member of the Democratic media complex defend Tlaib, saying Republicans are doing nothing but constantly trying to smear those who are critical of Israel.
People who actually care about anti-semitism should be deeply worried about the extremely cynical game being played with it to constantly smear @RashidaTlaib, @IlhanMN & other Israel critics. Nothing cheapens or trivializes the issue more than this tactic https://t.co/boLOOGfH2c
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 13, 2019
Just as was true of @IlhanMN's 9/11 comments, the only way to impose sinister meaning on @RashidaTlaib's words is to deliberately distort them, and trivialize anti-semitism to do it. Those endangering Jews are people like Steve Scalise & Liz Cheney https://t.co/ihzp7Y8Rdf
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 13, 2019
Let's set the record straight, shall we?
Conservatives aren't condemning Tlaib because she's muslim. Conservatives aren't attacking Tlaib because she's a woman. Conservatives are disgusted by the comments she made. You know why? Because millions of innocent people died during the Holocaust for no reason other than the fact that they were Jewish. Millions of people died because they were seen as inferior to Hitler and the Nazis.
This has absolutely nothing to do with Tlaib's race, religion or gender. This has everything to do with her thoughts on one of the greatest tragedies – if not the greatest – the world has ever seen.
Rewriting history is not only wrong but it's dangerous.
Remember the saying: Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.
Changing and rewriting history can have the same implications.