Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has slammed a Islamophobic story Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) recently told about her, calling it a complete fiction.
A video posted online this week shows Boebert describing what she referred to as a “jihad squad moment” at an event during the Thanksgiving holiday.
She said she saw a Capitol police officer “running” toward an elevator in a Congressional building as she was boarding with a staffer.
“I see fret all over his face. And he’s reaching and I’m like, door’s shutting, I can’t open it,” Boebert said. “And I look to my left and there she is. Ilhan Omar.”
“I said well, she doesn’t have a backpack; we should be fine,” the congresswoman added.
Boebert said that she looked at Omar and said, “Oh, look, the jihad squad decided to show up for work today.”
But Omar says Boebert’s story never happened.
Ryan Grim of the Intercept tweeted that he asked Omar about it and “she said this is false. Boebert won’t look at her let alone talk to her.”
As the video spread online, Omar hit back on Twitter, saying that the “whole story is made up.”
“Fact, this buffoon looks down when she sees me at the Capitol, this whole story is made up. Sad she thinks bigotry gets her clout,” Omar tweeted.
“Anti-Muslim bigotry isn’t funny & shouldn’t be normalized. Congress can’t be a place where hateful and dangerous Muslims tropes get no condemnation,” the congresswoman added.
Others agreed that Boebert’s story sounded implausible.
Hugo Lowell, who covers Congress for the Guardian US, tweeted: “Boebert’s story sounds a bit ridiculous. Omar is almost always accompanied by staff, even in House office buildings, so not sure how this could happen. Have also never seen a [United States Capitol Police] officer act like this.”
Many felt that her comments were Islamophobic.
“Boebert is using undeniable bigotry to play to the MAGA base and it’s horrifying that this is what seems to work,” tweeted one user.
Many others had similar sentiments.
Now some are calling for Boebert to face repercussions for her remarks.
“Lauren Boebert should be stripped of her committee assignments,” tweeted @DylanBurns1776.
“Lauren Boebert must be censured and removed from her committee positions,” tweeted @BMeiselas.
Boebert has not responded to Omar’s accusation that her story about the elevator is false.
Update 2:30pm CT: In a tweet on Friday, Boebert said, in part, that she apologized to “the Muslim community I offended with my comment.”
