US Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday night denounced Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) anti-Semitic tweets, calling them “a disgrace” and adding that “her apology was inadequate.”
“Anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress, much less the Foreign Affairs Committee. Those who engage in anti-Semitic tropes should not just be denounced, they should face consequences for their words,” he wrote on Twitter.
Omar, a Muslim, caused an uproar on Sunday after she responded on Twitter to a threat two days earlier by Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to take action against her because of her past statements on Israel. Omar suggested that lawmakers’ support for Israel was influenced by money.
Democratic leaders blasted Omar for her comments, as did Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton, who said, “We should expect all elected officials, regardless of party, and all public figures to not traffic in anti-Semitism.”
Jewish organizations, including the National Council for Young Israel and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, also denounced Omar.
In an attempt to do damage control, Omar on Monday apologized for the tweets.
At the same time, she said she reaffirms “the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry. It's gone on too long and we must be willing to address it."
Earlier on Tuesday, President Donald Trump called on Omar to resign from Congress following her anti-Semitic tweets and described her apology as “lame”.