Omar: Impeachment of 'dictator' Trump 'inevitable'

Ilhan Omar (Photo courtesy Lorie Shaull, Flickr)

The freshman Muslim congresswoman who has been rebuked by her Democratic Party leaders for anti-Semitic comments said in an interview published Wednesday that President Trump has "the markings of a dictator" and his impeachment is "inevitable."

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., told Rolling Stone magazine, however, she was terrified at the prospect of removing Trump because Vice President Mike Pence would take his place, the Washington Free Beacon reported.

"I believe that impeachment is inevitable. It also is a terrifying notion," she said. "Pence is an ideologue, and the ideology he holds is more terrifying to me and my constituents. And we have not had a full impeachment that removes the president from office. Nations struggle any time [they] overthrow a dictator, and Trump really has the markings of a dictator."

Omar's Muslim colleague in the House, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., said last month vowed Democrats were going to "impeach the motherf–er."

Omar was on the cover of Rolling Stone this month with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and fellow freshman Reps. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

After criticism from Pelosi and other Democratic leaders, Omar issued a qualified apology for evoking the old trope that congressional support for Israel is due to lawmakers being bought off by wealthy Jews. Two days later, she took a personal swipe at a Jewish diplomat during a congressional hearing.

President Trump called on her to resign or be barred from serving on congressional committees, saying, "Anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress."

Since then, it's been reported she is scheduled to speak alongside a notorious, anti-Semitic Muslim leader.

In her apology for the anti-Semitic tweet, Omar said she was still concerned about "the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics."

"Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes," Omar wrote.

"My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole. We have to always be willing to step back and think through criticism, just as I expect people to hear me when others attack me for my identity. This is why I unequivocally apologize," she wrote

"At the same time, I reaffirm the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC [the American Israel Public Affairs Committee], the [National Rifle Association] or the fossil fuel industry. It's gone on too long and we must be willing to address it."