Rep. Ilhan Omar said up to 90% of Americans support her policies, regardless of their political affiliation, during a town hall this week.
“Every policy that I advocate for has 70%, 80%, 90% approval from the American constituency, regardless of whether they are Republican or Democrat, or independent,” Omar said.
Rep. Ilhan Omar: "Every policy that I advocate for has 70%, 80%, 90% approval from the American constituency, regardless of whether they are Republican or a Democrat, or independent." pic.twitter.com/VlAP6EmguE
— The Hill (@thehill) September 2, 2021
A March 2021 poll by USA Today and Ipsos found that fewer than 1 in 5 Americans actually support defunding the police. Omar herself supports “dismantling” the Minneapolis Police Department, calling them “rotten” in the summer of 2020.
A Center of the American Experiment poll conducted this summer found that 69% of Minnesotans trust law enforcement and 79% of Minneapolis and St. Paul residents are concerned about the level of crime.
“If our constituents are loud enough, they change our point of view on principles and policies,” Omar added.
Omar also said “the media apparatus drafts a narrative” that supporters of Medicare for all, canceling student debt, and “ending homelessness” are “radical” and “everything you are fighting for is controversial.” She went on to say these policies “center our humanity, our dignity, [and] safety.”
Other policies Omar supports include: a national guaranteed income program, the cancellation of the Line 3 pipeline, citizenship for “all undocumented people,” abolishing ICE, expanding the Supreme Court, ending the Senate filibuster, a freeze on deportations, increased refugee resettlement, and more.
In June, Omar compared America and Israel to Hamas and Taliban terrorists, doubling down on her remarks on air with CNN’s Jake Tapper. When asked about her anti-Semitic rhetoric, she stated that her Jewish Democratic colleagues “haven’t been partners in justice.” Omar’s past anti-Israel comments have garnered support from the Muslim Brotherhood.
Omar came under fire in the 2020 election cycle when around 80% of her campaign cash flow went to her new husband, Tim Mynett’s political consulting firm, E Street Group. The amount totaled $2.9 million. Mynett’s firm also received over $600,000 in COVID-19 relief.
Megan Olson
Megan Olson is a 2020 graduate of the University of Minnesota with degrees in political science and history. She works in public affairs in addition to serving on the Legislative Advisory Council for School District 196. She is also on the school board for FIT academy, a charter school in Apple Valley.
