Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) called for President Trump to be prosecuted for his "criminal neglect" during the COVID-19 pandemic after House Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) called for a special commission into the Trump administration's response.
"As you know, I lost my mother on June 16th. I remember my dad was in Kenya. He came back into the United States when COVID hit because he thought he would be safer here and I know that my father and over 300,000 people have lost their lives to COVID because of dangerous criminal neglect by Trump and his administration and I agree with Clyburn that it is not enough for us just to issue subpoenas that. We have to investigate and prosecute these people responsible for these reckless deaths," Omar said.
"My father should be here today. So many of my family members should be here today and they aren’t here because we don’t have leaders that care about their lives. The President this day has not shown an ounce of compassion to the people who passed away," she continued, nearly breaking down in tears. "They still have not acknowledged the devastating loss so many of us are feeling. My father survived so many things, and for him to lose his life to COVID is devastating."
Sorry to get so emotional on TV, but the lost of my father is still so painful.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) December 18, 2020
My condolences to the hundreds of thousands of people who lost loved one to COVID.
Accountability is long overdue for Trump’s failures.
My father was convinced he be safer in the US and he wasn’t. https://t.co/3cS9oBBDKh
Omar insisted the death toll and the number of cases from COVID-19 was avoidable.
"There are people who are responsible and we cannot forget about that when the next administration is sworn in and they are in charge of what happens next," she said.
COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer were approved for emergency use after they were created as a result of the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed.