Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera defended Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., against criticism from the right over her controversial comments regarding the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, saying that Republicans need to give her time to adjust to her new role as a Member of Congress.
Rivera engaged in a debate Friday over the GOP’s reaction to Omar’s comments after his “The Five” colleague Jesse Watters said that Omar never holds herself accountable for the controversial statements she makes and resorts to identity politics to defend herself from criticism.
“It’s a gotcha. I mean, let her learn on the job. Give her a break, Jesse,” Geraldo said.
Former press secretary under George W. Bush and fellow Fox News host Dana Perino also weighed into the conversation, saying that she recalls times when statements of hers were taken out of context, but that only served as a reminder to be clearer and better articulate her arguments.
“I can remember one time where I was taken out of context. And the reason for that is because I’m thoughtful about what I’m going to say. Every week she complains about being taken out of context,” Perino said.
Rivera, siding with Omar, said that her background, her heritage, and her religion all make the constant criticism by Republicans more complex.
“But you know what the difference is here? For the first time in history you have two Muslim women in the Congress of the United States. They carry an enormous burden,” Rivera said.
Congressional colleagues and Democratic White House hopefuls alike have come to Omar’s defense, saying that the criticism she faces has to do with the fact that Republicans want to tear down a Muslim woman.
Omar has been the subject of criticism over controversial comments about the terrorists who killed roughly 3,000 people in the Sept. 11 attacks. The Minnesota lawmaker was speaking to a Muslim advocacy lobbying group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, last month when she referred to the terrorists as “some people” who “did something.”
“CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something, and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties,” Omar said at the event.
