September 26, 2025 • 15 mins
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), talks about the issues that she has been focused on, including Gaza and how she is working to ensure that people of color are not marginalized during the Trump presidency.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
I'm Vanessa Tyler reporting at the Congressional Black Caucuses fifty
fourth Annual Legislative Conference on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
You're home for Black News.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
First, I'm honored to be speaking with the congresswoman from Minnesota,
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Welcome.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Thank you so much, Vanessa for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I just wanted to get your reaction first off to
the Komi indictment as we start.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah, I mean, it is really dangerous times in our
country when you have a president who is ordering indictments
of his sort of political adversaries, I think creates a
dangerous environment. But I do appreciate the fact that Komi
(00:48):
himself said that, you know, we shouldn't be afraid, we
shouldn't bend the knee, and really delighted that he seems
to be in this and eager to fight it in court.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
You have been extremely busy lately. I read that you
were certainly in New York for Climate Week and then you.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Have the African Trust. Would you talk about Climate Week please?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, you know, I was just sitting in New York.
It is interesting because the General Assembly at the u
N was also happening. We have China making commitments to
addressing the climate crisis. Well, our president, the President of
the United States, is supposed to be a leading champion
addressing the climate crisis, saying that it is it is
(01:33):
a hoax and that we you know, we wouldn't be
investing in it. That chextaposition was really bizarre to witness.
But my incredible daughter, who has been a climate activist
since she was a teeny bitty little one, was hosting
(01:54):
a panel she was moderating, and so I was able
to join her and really get to see what the
aspirations are for young people that are really worried about
what their survival is going to look like, what kind
(02:14):
of environment that they are going to grow up into,
and what their children will inherit.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
At this point, where do you, I know, you've been
certainly upfront and on the front lines of talking about
what's happening in the Middle East, At this point, where
do you see things going? I mean, will there ever
be a two state solution or is that out the window.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
At this point?
Speaker 3 (02:38):
I mean, it's been incredibly painful to see the genocide
that's unfolding in Gaza and to have the United States
provide impunity for Latinyahu and the Israelis have committed war crimes.
We know that nearly seventy five percent of member states
(03:00):
of the u N have recognized a Palestinian state. The
United States is one of few that has refused. I
think it is important for us to continue to push
for sovereignty for the people of Palacine, for us to
make sure that we are doing everything that we can
(03:22):
to assure our dollars, US tax dollars are not being
used to perpetuate and you know, carry out this this
genocide that's happening in Gaza. But it's also I think
important for us to elect people who have that clarity
in understanding that you know, these these wars that are
(03:44):
carried out in our names don't have to continue to happen,
and that we have agency to say, you know, we
want leaders who will stand up for humanity.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
We want leaders.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Who will not protect those who commit more crimes. We
want leaders who are going to take a vote to
respect not just US laws, but also international laws.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
What about the idea that's kind of floating around that
the United States would take part a piece of Gaza.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
I mean that just sounds incredibly stupid, you know, We
not only need to advocate to end the genocide in Gaza,
but we need to advocate to hold Natanyahu in his
cabinet members accountable for the war crimes that they have committed.
(04:40):
We need to get out of the way of the
ICIC and the IC chase so that they can bring
that accountability. I think that people of Gaza. You know,
there's over two million people who have been starved, who've
been bomb constantly, who have been displaced, who are being
(05:04):
ethnically cleansed, and we shouldn't have any part of that.
The only thing that we should be doing, as you
know leaders of the world, is advocating to bring Natanyahu
and his schoonice to justice.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Let's talk about political violence.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
This is something you have been dealing with in terms
of the threats for years. Are they getting worse? Are
they doubling up because you've been very outspoken on very
many issues, making you a target.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
What about your safety? Are you concerned about that and security?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah? I mean I got elected doing Trump's first term.
I was in that big class of twenty eighteen that
you know was supposed to be a check to the
the Trump administration, and in nineteen I had one of
the highest death threats for a member of Congress. I
(06:09):
think I had the most death threats for a member
of Congress. And in twenty twenty, when he was campaigning
for re election, you know, he would talk about me
and his rallies, and there was always a correlation between
every time he mentioned me and the level of death
threats that I would get. At one point, there was
an assassination plot against my life, so I had to
have twenty four hour Capital police esport with me and
(06:36):
my family. And you know, I relatively had peace doing
the Biden administration, but they're back, and it is because
he's back, and he has a way of creating a
level of hate and bigotry against black women, against immigrants,
(06:56):
and against Muslims. So you know, I happened to be
the embodument of those identities. And there have been multiple
people who have been incarcerated for threatening to kill me.
There's few right now that are going through the judicial
system because they've threatened to kill me and my family.
And so, you know, my hope is that people reject
(07:22):
the hateful rhetoric and vidrial that's coming from our president
and understand that it is not worth to risk their
freedom by threatening members of Congress. And certainly, you know,
we want to live in a country where you can
be a political leader, you can be an elected official
(07:43):
and not fear for your life because of the change
that you want to see.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I was just thinking about Charlie Kirk, of course, and
his killing and the resolution that had gone through Congress.
You were one of the Democrats who vote against. What
do you think about the way his image and legacy
are being remembered and the possibility of US currency having
(08:12):
his image Charlie Kirk image on US CERCE currency in
a way to honor him.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I feel for his wife
and his children. No one deserves to be killed for
their opinions, and certainly no one deserves to be killed
in the way that he was killed. And I know
that that image is going to live forever and it
(08:39):
will hunt his widow and you know, his girl, and
his son and daughter. But I do think it is
important for us not to allow the right wing to
whitewash the legacy of Charlie Kirk, which was a legus
(09:00):
legacy that was ruled with with hate, with bigotry, with
white supremacy. Uh, this is a man who didn't think
you and I were smart enough to achieve anything just
because we were a born black woman, that we didn't
have the capacity to process thoughts. Uh. And I cannot
(09:26):
understand how every single one of them that wants to
honor him is not.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Being labeled.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
With with his words. I don't know how you can
be in polite society have a legacy that is honored
with that kind of thought process. And so I voted
against a resolution because there was no legacy to honor
it is. It's a shameful legacy, uh. And I think
(09:55):
it will be a shameful thing as a nation if
if that man has his image, his name associated with
our currency, then others outside of the United States also
get to get to use because it says that we
(10:16):
are putting out a symbol of hate and bigotry by
having anything associated with Charlie Kirk. And I think that
his legacy belongs in the de spin of history. It
does not belong in any monument of anything.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Talk about this convention, it's it's the moment, it's titled,
And I'm just curious now that we are in this moment,
what's to come, what.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Should be done? What should the Democrats do.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
I mean, we have we have to fight back. We
have to fight back against the destruction and the dismantling
of our constitution, of our democracy, of the rule of law,
of decency. You know, the Congressional Black Caucus has always
(11:09):
been looked at as the conscience of Congress. Uh. And
so we have to have a clear conscience about the
state of our country. And I think, you know, black
people have known pain and struggle in ways that other people,
you know can't. Uh. And so we we we It
(11:32):
is I think important for us to rely on that knowledge,
that experience to push us forward. You know, I had
the honor of serving with John Lewis, and I I remember,
you know, I came in very headstrong, you know, trying
(11:54):
to like tackle everything, and I remember him saying, slow down,
pay attention to the things that matter at the moment.
And for us today, the things that matter at this
moment is to protect and preserve the civil liberties that
(12:18):
you know, those who came before us fought for, died for,
struggled for and and and I and I think we
will because I don't. I don't think that black people
have ever lost the plot. They've always understood that when
(12:39):
push comes to shove, you know, they are going to fight,
and they're going to fight for their liberation and the
liberation of everyone.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
I'm just curious how that fight might look.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Are you we're talking protests, boycotts, How how is the fight?
Speaker 3 (12:56):
It's all of it. Yeah, it's all of it.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
You know, you've you've you've seen the.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Challenges to corporations like Target that's through boycott. You see,
you know, people going out into the streets. You see
members of Congress, definitely members of the Congressional Black Caucus,
you know, leading the task force to you know, litigate
(13:24):
a lot of the uh uh, a lot a lot
of what is coming out of the White House. You
see Leader Jeffries, you know, going to bat to try
to make sure that we're holding this president accountable. I
think it includes everything and anything.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Finally, you're going to be heading the brain Trust, which
is something you do when you talk about that a
little as we wrap.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Yeah, I was fortunate enough to inherit the Africa brain
Trust from my former mentor, Karen Bass, who used to
be the chair of both the Congressional Black Caucus and
the chair of the Africa Subcommittee on the Foreign Affairs Committee,
which I had the honor in serving under her. And
(14:16):
so today at one o'clock we have our brain trust.
We will be talking about the residual impacts of colonialism
on the continent on Black people. We'll talk about why
it's important for us to reject neo colonialism and imperialism,
Why liberation it's not just something that you fight in
(14:41):
freeing yourself, but in fighting to have that economic liberation,
cultural liberation.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Societal liberation.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
And so it should be a very interesting conversation. I
think done lenin and is going to be the moderator,
and LB myself and one other panelist.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Oh, it sounds like it'd be a great panel.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Thank you for everything, Congresswoman Omar in the Fight, Thank you.
I'm Vanessa Tyler reporting at the Congressional Black Caucus fifty
fourth Annual Legislative Conference on the Black Information Network, your
home for Black News First.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Thank you, Finas, Thank you.
I'm Vanessa Tyler reporting at the Congressional Black Caucuses fifty
fourth Annual Legislative Conference on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
You're home for Black News.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
First, I'm honored to be speaking with the congresswoman from Minnesota,
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Welcome.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Thank you so much, Vanessa for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I just wanted to get your reaction first off to
the Komi indictment as we start.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah, I mean, it is really dangerous times in our
country when you have a president who is ordering indictments
of his sort of political adversaries, I think creates a
dangerous environment. But I do appreciate the fact that Komi
(00:48):
himself said that, you know, we shouldn't be afraid, we
shouldn't bend the knee, and really delighted that he seems
to be in this and eager to fight it in court.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
You have been extremely busy lately. I read that you
were certainly in New York for Climate Week and then you.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Have the African Trust. Would you talk about Climate Week please?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, you know, I was just sitting in New York.
It is interesting because the General Assembly at the u
N was also happening. We have China making commitments to
addressing the climate crisis. Well, our president, the President of
the United States, is supposed to be a leading champion
addressing the climate crisis, saying that it is it is
(01:33):
a hoax and that we you know, we wouldn't be
investing in it. That chextaposition was really bizarre to witness.
But my incredible daughter, who has been a climate activist
since she was a teeny bitty little one, was hosting
(01:54):
a panel she was moderating, and so I was able
to join her and really get to see what the
aspirations are for young people that are really worried about
what their survival is going to look like, what kind
(02:14):
of environment that they are going to grow up into,
and what their children will inherit.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
At this point, where do you, I know, you've been
certainly upfront and on the front lines of talking about
what's happening in the Middle East, At this point, where
do you see things going? I mean, will there ever
be a two state solution or is that out the window.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
At this point?
Speaker 3 (02:38):
I mean, it's been incredibly painful to see the genocide
that's unfolding in Gaza and to have the United States
provide impunity for Latinyahu and the Israelis have committed war crimes.
We know that nearly seventy five percent of member states
(03:00):
of the u N have recognized a Palestinian state. The
United States is one of few that has refused. I
think it is important for us to continue to push
for sovereignty for the people of Palacine, for us to
make sure that we are doing everything that we can
(03:22):
to assure our dollars, US tax dollars are not being
used to perpetuate and you know, carry out this this
genocide that's happening in Gaza. But it's also I think
important for us to elect people who have that clarity
in understanding that you know, these these wars that are
(03:44):
carried out in our names don't have to continue to happen,
and that we have agency to say, you know, we
want leaders who will stand up for humanity.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
We want leaders.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Who will not protect those who commit more crimes. We
want leaders who are going to take a vote to
respect not just US laws, but also international laws.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
What about the idea that's kind of floating around that
the United States would take part a piece of Gaza.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
I mean that just sounds incredibly stupid, you know, We
not only need to advocate to end the genocide in Gaza,
but we need to advocate to hold Natanyahu in his
cabinet members accountable for the war crimes that they have committed.
(04:40):
We need to get out of the way of the
ICIC and the IC chase so that they can bring
that accountability. I think that people of Gaza. You know,
there's over two million people who have been starved, who've
been bomb constantly, who have been displaced, who are being
(05:04):
ethnically cleansed, and we shouldn't have any part of that.
The only thing that we should be doing, as you
know leaders of the world, is advocating to bring Natanyahu
and his schoonice to justice.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Let's talk about political violence.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
This is something you have been dealing with in terms
of the threats for years. Are they getting worse? Are
they doubling up because you've been very outspoken on very
many issues, making you a target.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
What about your safety? Are you concerned about that and security?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah? I mean I got elected doing Trump's first term.
I was in that big class of twenty eighteen that
you know was supposed to be a check to the
the Trump administration, and in nineteen I had one of
the highest death threats for a member of Congress. I
(06:09):
think I had the most death threats for a member
of Congress. And in twenty twenty, when he was campaigning
for re election, you know, he would talk about me
and his rallies, and there was always a correlation between
every time he mentioned me and the level of death
threats that I would get. At one point, there was
an assassination plot against my life, so I had to
have twenty four hour Capital police esport with me and
(06:36):
my family. And you know, I relatively had peace doing
the Biden administration, but they're back, and it is because
he's back, and he has a way of creating a
level of hate and bigotry against black women, against immigrants,
(06:56):
and against Muslims. So you know, I happened to be
the embodument of those identities. And there have been multiple
people who have been incarcerated for threatening to kill me.
There's few right now that are going through the judicial
system because they've threatened to kill me and my family.
And so, you know, my hope is that people reject
(07:22):
the hateful rhetoric and vidrial that's coming from our president
and understand that it is not worth to risk their
freedom by threatening members of Congress. And certainly, you know,
we want to live in a country where you can
be a political leader, you can be an elected official
(07:43):
and not fear for your life because of the change
that you want to see.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I was just thinking about Charlie Kirk, of course, and
his killing and the resolution that had gone through Congress.
You were one of the Democrats who vote against. What
do you think about the way his image and legacy
are being remembered and the possibility of US currency having
(08:12):
his image Charlie Kirk image on US CERCE currency in
a way to honor him.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I feel for his wife
and his children. No one deserves to be killed for
their opinions, and certainly no one deserves to be killed
in the way that he was killed. And I know
that that image is going to live forever and it
(08:39):
will hunt his widow and you know, his girl, and
his son and daughter. But I do think it is
important for us not to allow the right wing to
whitewash the legacy of Charlie Kirk, which was a legus
(09:00):
legacy that was ruled with with hate, with bigotry, with
white supremacy. Uh, this is a man who didn't think
you and I were smart enough to achieve anything just
because we were a born black woman, that we didn't
have the capacity to process thoughts. Uh. And I cannot
(09:26):
understand how every single one of them that wants to
honor him is not.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Being labeled.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
With with his words. I don't know how you can
be in polite society have a legacy that is honored
with that kind of thought process. And so I voted
against a resolution because there was no legacy to honor
it is. It's a shameful legacy, uh. And I think
(09:55):
it will be a shameful thing as a nation if
if that man has his image, his name associated with
our currency, then others outside of the United States also
get to get to use because it says that we
(10:16):
are putting out a symbol of hate and bigotry by
having anything associated with Charlie Kirk. And I think that
his legacy belongs in the de spin of history. It
does not belong in any monument of anything.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Talk about this convention, it's it's the moment, it's titled,
And I'm just curious now that we are in this moment,
what's to come, what.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Should be done? What should the Democrats do.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
I mean, we have we have to fight back. We
have to fight back against the destruction and the dismantling
of our constitution, of our democracy, of the rule of law,
of decency. You know, the Congressional Black Caucus has always
(11:09):
been looked at as the conscience of Congress. Uh. And
so we have to have a clear conscience about the
state of our country. And I think, you know, black
people have known pain and struggle in ways that other people,
you know can't. Uh. And so we we we It
(11:32):
is I think important for us to rely on that knowledge,
that experience to push us forward. You know, I had
the honor of serving with John Lewis, and I I remember,
you know, I came in very headstrong, you know, trying
(11:54):
to like tackle everything, and I remember him saying, slow down,
pay attention to the things that matter at the moment.
And for us today, the things that matter at this
moment is to protect and preserve the civil liberties that
(12:18):
you know, those who came before us fought for, died for,
struggled for and and and I and I think we
will because I don't. I don't think that black people
have ever lost the plot. They've always understood that when
(12:39):
push comes to shove, you know, they are going to fight,
and they're going to fight for their liberation and the
liberation of everyone.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
I'm just curious how that fight might look.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Are you we're talking protests, boycotts, How how is the fight?
Speaker 3 (12:56):
It's all of it. Yeah, it's all of it.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
You know, you've you've you've seen the.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Challenges to corporations like Target that's through boycott. You see,
you know, people going out into the streets. You see
members of Congress, definitely members of the Congressional Black Caucus,
you know, leading the task force to you know, litigate
(13:24):
a lot of the uh uh, a lot a lot
of what is coming out of the White House. You
see Leader Jeffries, you know, going to bat to try
to make sure that we're holding this president accountable. I
think it includes everything and anything.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Finally, you're going to be heading the brain Trust, which
is something you do when you talk about that a
little as we wrap.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Yeah, I was fortunate enough to inherit the Africa brain
Trust from my former mentor, Karen Bass, who used to
be the chair of both the Congressional Black Caucus and
the chair of the Africa Subcommittee on the Foreign Affairs Committee,
which I had the honor in serving under her. And
(14:16):
so today at one o'clock we have our brain trust.
We will be talking about the residual impacts of colonialism
on the continent on Black people. We'll talk about why
it's important for us to reject neo colonialism and imperialism,
Why liberation it's not just something that you fight in
(14:41):
freeing yourself, but in fighting to have that economic liberation,
cultural liberation.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Societal liberation.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
And so it should be a very interesting conversation. I
think done lenin and is going to be the moderator,
and LB myself and one other panelist.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Oh, it sounds like it'd be a great panel.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Thank you for everything, Congresswoman Omar in the Fight, Thank you.
I'm Vanessa Tyler reporting at the Congressional Black Caucus fifty
fourth Annual Legislative Conference on the Black Information Network, your
home for Black News First.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Thank you, Finas, Thank you.
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