Ilhan Omar Fires Back at Anti-Ukraine Hecklers Over Support for US Assistance: ‘You Do Not Get to Tell Me’ How to Vote
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) fired back at anti-Ukraine hecklers over her support for U.S. assistance to the war-torn Eastern European country.
“You’re supposed to be a progressive Democrat. Anti-war,” said the heckler at a Thursday town hall. “Anti-war! 80 billion [dollars] to Ukraine is not anti-war!”
It is unclear from where the heckler got 80 billion. The United States has given Ukraine $17.6 billion since Russia invaded Ukraine, according to the State Department.
“We are helping Ukraine defend themselves,” said Omar, who was again interrupted by the heckler baselessly claiming, “Ukraine is killing its own citizens!”
“We are helping little children like me that had been helped,” said Omar, who came to the United States as a refugee from Somalia when she was a teenager.
“Listen. Unless you have not been paying attention to what is happening, there are millions of Ukrainians that have been displaced. There are piles of bodies that are being found in mass graves,” she said before raising her voice. “There are little children [whose] lives are being lost…”
“By Zelensky!” yelled the heckler, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. There is no basis for this claim.
“By Zelensky in the Donbas,” added the heckler, referring to the Eastern Ukrainian region, where there has been lots of fighting with Russian forces.
Omar was having none of it.
“But unless you are someone like me that has been that child, you do not get to tell me what my votes mean and how I get to vote in supporting people who desperately need….”
Later on Twitter, Omar blasted the protesters.
“I am sorry, you all aren’t ‘anti-war protesters’; you are dangerous propagandists who are literally making a mockery of the anti-war movement. I have never had the pleasure of responding to [pro-Russia] ridiculous internet disinformation in person before. Thank you for the opportunity,” she tweeted.
Omar continued, “I am amazed at the nerve that some people have not to be upset with the country literally waging war but at the country defending itself and those helping them do that. I was even told by one of these people tonight, “it’s America that started the Russia war”, seriously wtf.”
Watch above.
(h/t Jose Vega).
