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A political controversy erupted after Fox News host Brian Kilmeade questioned the loyalty of Rep. Ilhan Omar during a segment on “Fox & Friends,” asking viewers, “You have to wonder if she’s an American first.” The remark quickly drew sharp criticism and reignited concerns over rhetoric aimed at Muslim American leaders.
Rep. Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota and one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, responded forcefully. “My love and commitment to our country and that of my colleagues should never be questioned,” she said on Twitter. “We are ALL Americans.” Omar also called the comment “dangerous incitement,” noting that she has previously been the target of death threats.
Kilmeade’s remarks were part of a discussion reacting to a speech Omar gave to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Los Angeles. In her speech, Omar addressed the post-9/11 discrimination Muslim Americans have faced and how civil liberties were eroded in its aftermath. A particular phrase she used—“some people did something”—in reference to the 9/11 attacks was seized upon by critics, who accused her of minimizing the tragedy.
While Kilmeade later attempted to clarify his comments via Twitter, saying he didn’t mean to question Omar’s citizenship, he stood by his criticism: “I am questioning how any American, let alone a United States congresswoman, could downplay the 9/11 attacks.”
