House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer called on Republicans to apologize to Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., whose Holocaust comments Hoyer said were taken out of context by the GOP.
“If you read Rep. @RashidaTlaib’s comments, it is clear that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are taking them out of context,” Hoyer, D-Md., tweeted Monday. “They must stop, and they owe her an apology.”
Republicans denounced Tlaib’s comments on the creation of Israel, which she made in a weekend podcast.
“There’s kind of a calming feeling I always tell folks when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors, Palestinians, who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence in many ways, have been wiped out, and some people’s passports,” Tlaib said on the Yahoo News podcast, “Skullduggery.”
Republicans are calling on Democratic leaders to take action against Tlaib, imploring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Hoyer to sanction the first-term lawmaker.
Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., labeled the comments “sickening,” and called on Democratic leaders to punish Tlaib and other Democrats who have in recent months made anti-Semitic remarks.
“I call on Speaker Pelosi and Leader Hoyer to finally take action against Representative Tlaib and other members of the Democratic caucus who are spreading vile anti-Semitism,” Cheney said.
Hoyer made the comment as criticism has grown against Tlaib and other Democrats for actions that appear anti-Semitic.
Democrats drew backlash last week after they invited Imam Omar Suleiman to deliver the opening prayer in the chamber. Suleiman has made anti-Semitic remarks and has called for the destruction of Israel.
