New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed CNN on Wednesday for calling fellow “squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) a “public relations agent for Hamas.”
“How on earth is this kind of blatant Islamophobia so casually accepted without pushback? This is shocking,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
How on earth is this kind of blatant Islamophobia so casually accepted without pushback? This is shocking. https://t.co/ENMPOMIGID
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 14, 2024
In the video, Republican strategist Scott Jennings said on “Newsnight” that he is “surprised, that in the year of our Lord 2024, there is a public relations agent for Hamas sitting in the United States Congress.”
In response, Omar reposted several replies to the video, where other Democratic lawmakers called him “racist,” “Islamaphobic,” and other names along those lines.
“Scott Jennings’ comments are reminiscent of the anti-Muslim bigotry we saw in the George Bush post-9/11 era,” Missouri Democrat Rep. Cori Bush wrote.
Scott Jennings’ comments are reminiscent of the anti-Muslim bigotry we saw in the George Bush post-9/11 era.
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) March 14, 2024
It is disgusting and must not be normalized. CNN should denounce this hateful, dangerous and blatant Islamophobia immediately. https://t.co/RVOBTm7u8Z
“Blatant Islamophobia has no place in our society — let alone on primetime TV,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) wrote.
Blatant Islamophobia has no place in our society — let alone on primetime TV.
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) March 14, 2024
It's dangerous, unacceptable, and cannot be normalized.
Got your back, @IlhanMN. https://t.co/Q2evYTdDBD
“Scott Jennings' comments are disgustingly racist and Islamophobic. Comments like this, especially on national news, are extremely dangerous and fuel anti-muslim hate crimes. CNN should never have him on again!” Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) wrote.
Scott Jennings' comments are disgustingly racist and Islamophobic. Comments like this, especially on national news, are extremely dangerous and fuel anti-muslim hate crimes.
— Rep. Jamaal Bowman Ed.D. (@JamaalBowmanNY) March 14, 2024
CNN should never have him on again!
This hatred is unacceptable and cannot be normalized. https://t.co/6vuIObqb8l
Late last year, when Hamas launched its barbaric attack on Israel, Omar criticized Israel response, Fox News reported.
"Palestinians have few recourses for justice and accountability. Attacks by the IDF and settlers against Palestinians are regularly met with impunity. Efforts to seek justice in international courts are stonewalled by the Israeli government, with U.S. support," she added. "As the world is condemning Hamas’s attacks, we must also oppose an Israeli military response that has already taken the lives of hundreds of Palestinians, including nearly two dozen children."