No sooner had President Trump called on Rep. Ilhan Omar to resign over anti-Semitic remarks than the left scrambled to play gotcha with words from his own past.
A 2015 video of the president telling a Jewish group “I’m a negotiator like you folks” resurfaced and was gleefully circulated by the left in hopes of proving Trump’s hypocrisy and even bigotry after he said he thought Omar should step down.
The president called out the Minnesota Democrat who came under fire by leaders of her own party, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, after commenting that U.S. politics are under the influence of a pro-Israel lobby. Omar did issue an apology of sorts on Monday, but shortly after retweeted a thread from a Democratic activist who supported her earlier claims that sparked the controversy.
On Tuesday, Trump called for the freshman congresswoman to resign or that she at least be removed from serving on congressional committees.
“Anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress,” he said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. “And I think she should either resign from Congress or she should certainly resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.”
“Her lame apology, and that’s what it was, it was lame, and she didn’t mean a word of it, was just not appropriate. I think she should resign from Congress, frankly,” he reiterated. “But at a minimum, she shouldn’t be on committees, certainly that committee.”
Cue the outrage.
CNN’s Chris Cuomo joined the liberal cacophony accusing Trump of a double standard and hypocrisy, noting his own comments from a Republican Jewish Coalition event in 2015.
“I am going to negotiate like you folks, we’re negotiators. Do you want to renegotiate deals? Some of us renegotiate deals,” then-presidential candidate Trump told the group at the time.
“Is there anybody that doesn’t renegotiate deals in this room? This room, perhaps more than any room I have ever spoken. Maybe more,” he added as the audience laughed.
“You’re not going to support me even though you know I am the best thing that could ever happen to Israel. I’ll be that,” he said. “I know why you’re not going to support me. You’’re not going to support me because I don’t want your money. You don’t want to give me money, but that’s okay. You want to control your own politician, that’s fine.”
Liberals piled on Trump for calling out Omar while he allegedly was guilty of making anti-Semitic remarks himself at the 2015 event, conflating the issue to be because Omar is a Muslim.
In light of Trump calling on Omar to resign, a notable contrast highlighted by WaPo: At a Republican Jewish Coalition event in 2015, Trump said, “You’re not going to support me because I don’t want your money … You want to control your own politicians.” https://t.co/8OYdoXl5QJ pic.twitter.com/JNV5GWqCGx
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 12, 2019
If what Representative @IlhanMN Omar said was antisemitic, then this is even more so. But the difference is that Representative Omar wears a hijab.
That’s the elephant in the room, isn’t it?— Jim Ngo (@jimkngo) February 12, 2019
A succinct summary of this Trump comment (?): In 2015, Trump told a group of Jews that he knew for a fact their plan was to use money to secretly control politicians and that they had no interest in any politician they couldn’t control with cash. It was straight-up antisemitism. https://t.co/Pax9tVxvyc
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) February 13, 2019
Cuomo wants to know why Trump is picking on Omar: ‘Is it because she’s Muslim? And wears a hijab?’ https://t.co/mJ0vCAwPtf pic.twitter.com/auOv2uk0gk
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) February 13, 2019
But Many others denounced the criticisms, noting the true intent of Trump’s remarks and that the video clip did not fully portray what was said – or that the crowd found the humor he intended in his comments.
He was making a light-hearted joke. I was there. Everyone got it. Audience was opposed to Trump (preferred Jeb+Marco), & still, everyone laughed. Stop playing whataboutism w/ Omar. Also, POTUS is most pro-Jewish, pro-Israel president ever. So there’s that.https://t.co/usodzmY0ag
— Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) February 13, 2019
Trump’s grandchildren are Jewish and he moved the embassy to Jerusalem, something many prior presidents promised but never delivered – their arguments are falling flat now since they’re defending that little ISIS sympathizer
— Jason E. Schott (@JESchott19) February 13, 2019
Bc it was clearly a joke where everyone laughed. Interesting that kyle cut off the end of the clip ?
— A. Pacheco (@revivin_ophelia) February 13, 2019
did you miss the laughter in that clip?
— Norman Rockwell (@rockwell_n2) February 13, 2019
Yes the most pro-Israel president ever who’s daughter married and became a Jew is an Anti-Semite! This is why most on the left are sheep that are told what to think!
— Hux (@Hux66165411) February 13, 2019
One of these people is commited to the destruction of Israel, and one has a Jewish daughter, son in law, grandchildren, and has been a life long friend with the Prime Minister of Israel. But you know….muh gotcha.
— I Still Love You (@Stevenwoolery) February 13, 2019
So stupid. Trump is the most PRO-ISRAEL, PRO-JEWISH President of my lifetime. We appreciate him &everything he does. He has no hate in his heart. He treats people the same across the board. Merit. Too bad u freaks with TDS can’t see or understand this. You’re too consumed w hate
— Laura G⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@jackandbaxter) February 13, 2019
These Libs are absolutely nuts on this thread. He was joking and they were laughing. The hypocrisy truly is the Jewish block voting Democrat when Democrats, like Obama and Omar and Sarsour, constantly standing against our only reliable friend in the middle East.
— Chris Perkins (@ChrisPerkins19) February 13, 2019
The difference is that Trump was saying it jokingly, where Omar was saying it to condemn Jews as evil and insidious. That’s because Trump loves Jews. And she hates Jews. Context matters
— TRUMPTASTIC NYC (@Mattwoodnyc3) February 12, 2019
@kylegriffin1 equating these two events shows either a lack in judgement or an extreme bias…. or both
— Ronald Spitzer (@Ronald_Spitzer) February 13, 2019
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