Donald Trump mistakes IIhan Omar for Rashida Tlaib

WASHINGTON - US Republican nominee for November elections and former President Donald Trump mistook firebrand Minnesota 5th District representative Ilhan Omar for her Michigan counterpart Rashida Tlaib in the latest scathing attack.

Both women are members of the "Squad," an informal group of progressive lawmakers. Both Trump and Ms. Omar have been at loggerheads since his first term as president, often showing their differences on serious policy matters.

In his recent speech, Trump recounted an incident in 2019 involving Omar that pertained to Tlaib. The former president has often used such platforms to take a swipe at his critics.

“This lunatic was in the audience,” he said, after naming Omar. “She started screaming, I said who the hell is that…It’s the same crazy person I watch every night. She’s nuts." Trump said. He accused Omar of previously supporting him and now opposing him.

Moments after the confusion, Omar responded to a video of the former president’s remarks in a tweet on Sunday. She accused Trump of being a crusader of Islamophobia.

“Trump telling dangerous anti-Muslim lies is nothing new. But I have never attended one of his speeches. He is lying again or losing his memory,” wrote the Minnesota congresswoman. “Trump should step aside as his criminal convictions and continued legal troubles have taken a toll on the 78-year-old conman.”

A Trump campaign spokesperson confirmed that the former president mistook one congresswoman for the other, NBC reports.

In the days following the 2019 rally, Tlaib penned an opinion piece for her local major newspaper, The Detroit Free Press, "I believe it is unbecoming of any American to not stand up to Trump's hate-filled rhetoric and tactics."

"I told Trump that 'our children deserve better' and asked him to provide a better example for our kids. I implored him to read the U.S. Constitution. Then, several security personnel grabbed me and physically moved me to the exit while I continued to express my concerns."

Trump's criticism of Omar and the "Squad" is not new. In 2019, he tweeted that they should "Not go back and help fix the broken and crime-infested places from which they came," which led to chants of "send her back!" from his supporters in North Carolina. Omar responded in 2020, calling Trump a xenophobic racist," opposing immigrants like herself.

The two congregational ladies made history in 2018 when they were elected to Congress, becoming the first Muslims to make history.

Throughout the years in Congress, they have both made significant strides within the Democratic Party, supporting LGBTQ rights, advocating for immigrants and refugees, and condemning Israel's treatment of Palestinians.

Omar immigrated to the United States with her family as a Somali refugee when she was a child and is now a naturalized citizen. She is the first Somali-American and refugee elected to Congress.

Rashida Tlaib, a 42-year-old legal scholar with Palestinian roots, shares a contentious relationship with Trump similar to Omar's. Trump has previously labeled Omar as a supporter of "terrorism" and claimed she "hates America."

GAROWE ONLINE