A resurfaced video of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar — a prominent member of the progressive “Squad” — has ignited a firestorm of controversy online this week. Conservatives are slamming Omar over past remarks in which she suggested that White men pose a greater threat to national security than is often acknowledged.
The clip, originally recorded in 2018 during an interview with Al Jazeera, shows Omar arguing that the U.S. should be more concerned about the radicalization of White men, whom she said were behind a large share of deadly incidents in the country. Her comments came in the context of a discussion about domestic terrorism and the disproportionate scrutiny placed on so-called “jihadist” threats.
A resurfaced video of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar — a high-profile member of the progressive “Squad” — has reignited controversy across social media, drawing sharp criticism from conservatives. The clip, originally filmed in 2018 during an interview with Al Jazeera, features Omar arguing that if public safety policies were truly guided by fear, then the U.S. should be focusing more on the radicalization of White men — whom she claimed were responsible for a disproportionate share of domestic terrorism.
“If fear is going to be the driving force behind policy decisions, then we should be profiling, monitoring, and creating strategies around the radicalization of White men,” she said. Omar’s remarks, which many critics view as racially inflammatory and factually misleading, were widely circulated by conservative voices including Laura Loomer and Libs of TikTok, amassing millions of views and prompting backlash — even drawing reactions from the White House.
In response to the uproar, Omar defended her comments, pointing to an Anti-Defamation League (ADL) report that found White supremacists were responsible for 78% of extremist-related murders at the time. “This nearly eight-year-old video references the rise of White nationalism as documented in the ADL’s annual report,” she clarified.
Omar didn’t stop there. Taking aim at her critics, she added, “It would also be wise to understand the real meaning of ‘genocidal’ — especially when you’re actively supporting genocide in Gaza.” Her comment referenced the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which escalated dramatically in October 2023 when Hamas launched a surprise attack from Gaza, killing over 1,300 people and taking more than 200 hostages, many of whom later died in captivity. (The U.S. government officially designates Hamas as a terrorist organization.)
Omar, a frequent critic of Israeli policy, has long been accused of anti-Semitism — a charge echoed even by some Jewish Democrats. Her past comments have repeatedly sparked condemnation across party lines.
Tensions escalated further in February, when freshman Republican Congressman Brandon Gill of Texas called for Omar’s deportation, writing on X: “America would be a better place if @IlhanMN were sent back to Somalia.” His post included a video — shared by conservative commentator Greg Price — showing Omar allegedly advising undocumented Somali immigrants on how to avoid detection by U.S. immigration authorities.
“This is outrageous,” Price commented. “Ilhan Omar is now conducting workshops teaching illegal Somalis how to evade deportation.”
The video drew a wave of condemnation. “She’s anti-American,” one user wrote. “She pledged allegiance to this country and betrayed it. She’s a liar and a traitor.” Another asked, “Isn’t this illegal? She should be expelled!” Others called for a formal investigation and possible prosecution.
Doubling down, Gill later stated, “We should never have let Ilhan Omar into our country.” A spokesperson for Gill told The Hill: “Her actions raise serious questions about whether she stands with the American people or with illegal Somali immigrants. It’s disgraceful for a U.S. Congresswoman to aid in what amounts to an invasion.”
Omar has also long been the target of unproven allegations of immigration fraud related to her entry into the U.S., though no definitive evidence has ever surfaced to substantiate those claims.
