‘How Are You Holding Up?’ MSNBC Hosts Lob Softballs at Ilhan Omar — Ask if She’d Sue Laura Loomer for Defamation

MSNBC hosts teed up Ilhan Omar to go after President Donald Trump, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Laura Loomer and others in a softball-heavy interview Saturday night.

In the second segment of a roundtable conversation on MSNBC’s The Weekend Primetime, the congresswoman — who had just made news by applauding Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) opposition to the Trump FCC’s tactics leading up to the Jimmy Kimmel suspension — fielded a series of friendly questions from the panel about attacks she has faced in recent days. Co-host Antonia Hylton kicked off the segment by playing a tape of Trump, on Thursday, calling for Omar to be impeached.

“I guess we’ll begin with your reaction to the language we just heard from the president there,” Hylton said. “But also, I want to ask how you are doing. You’ve been attacked by the president, by a colleague whose office is right next door to yours, Congresswoman Nancy Mace. I know that you have received messages and voicemails from people threatening you. How are you holding up?”

“You know, I’ve been here before,” Omar replied. “I’ve been the target of the president in the most vile, bigoted, racist ways that you could imagine. And I’ve had to have full police detail because of that. So it is surprising that he’s back at it — because I thought he’s moved on and found a new person to harass. But here’s a president that is always unhinged, always strange, always creating chaos and division. And he seems to have a real obsession with anyone that is an immigrant in this country that is not of European descent.”

She added, “When you have Nancy and [Rep.] Randy [Fine (R-FL)] saying, ‘we’re on it, we’re gonna impeach her.’ When they’re saying they’re going to deport me, knowing full well that you cannot deport an American citizen, what that displays for — not just Americans, but folks on an international platform — is that our country is being led by idiots.”

Co-host Ayman Mohyeldin followed up with a similarly friendly query, asking, “So what do you think is at play here, then, if these people are — as you say — idiots, and don’t understand the kind of basic responsibilities they either have, and the powers that they have in Congress or in the presidency? What do think is the animating factor behind why they come after you with such venom and vitriol?”

“It’s to gin up hate and then to turn it around, to be able to raise money, to rattle their base,” Omar replied. “And I think ultimately it’s to get enough people to bully us into silence. And I would have hoped by now that they have learned that one thing — they are not going to succeed in silencing my voice.”

Co-host Elise Jordan then teed up Omar to go after another vocal critic — far-right activist Laura Loomer.

“After Trump attacked you, Laura Loomer, she got on Twitter and she tweeted that you should be, ‘charged with aiding and abetting terrorism,’ which is a pretty huge charge — and there is no evidence connecting you to any terrorism,” Jordan said. “So my question to you is, in light of the spike in political violence and in light all of these calls for civility, do you consider that rhetoric to be incendiary and to up the threat level to you? And at what point does it cross the line from free speech — people can say anything — to harassment?”

“I think when you have sitting members of Congress calling me enemy of the state, when you constantly have people saying I’m a domestic terrorist, or I’m a terrorist, it is scary,” Omar said. “Because we know that they have a base that is reacting to it, and you can tell that by the voicemails that we’re getting, you can tell that by the number of people that have been incarcerated over the years for threatening to kill me. Some that have had many weapons at their disposal. And so this is a constant threat that we live under because, you know, these people are not saying, ‘you’re stupid,’ or whatever — which they also do. But they’re literally saying we are a threat to the fabric of this nation.”

Jordan then pressed Omar on whether she would pursue legal action against Loomer.

“She is a private citizen,” Jordan said. “Would you ever consider suing for defamation? It’s super high bar, since you are a public figure. But do you think you could make a case in court that cross it? Would you ever consider doing that? Or do you that free speech in America is sacrosanct and you’re just not going to litigate it?”

Omar poured cold water on the prospect of a lawsuit.

“Well, one I do think freedom of speech is sacrosanct,” Omar said. “But I also know that defamation when it comes to public service is really hard to win. And I have consulted with lawyers before, and outside of draining me for little resources that I have and tying up our time, I don’t think that there are greater chances of getting these cases even into litigation just because of how our defamation clause are created and litigated for public servants.”

Hylton wrapped the segment by inviting Omar to go after her own party.

“What about your Democratic colleagues?” Hylton asked. “Have they done enough to defend and protect you?

But Omar defended her colleagues.

“There have been times where, you know, Democrats themselves have created an environment that hasn’t been the best,” Omar said. “They’ve learned from that. And I am really grateful that in this moment, they are collectively raising their voices and speaking to the danger.”

The less-than-confrontational interview came on the heels of a viral exchange between Omar and CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in which the congresswoman said Charlie Kirk’s legacy should be left “in the dust bin of history” — a comment which has gotten heavy criticism from many on the right. Omar was not asked about the comment during her interview on MSNBC Saturday.

Watch above, via MSNBC.