GREGG JARRETT: Ilhan Omar turns her defense over to a vile purveyor of hate
Sitting on a couch, they were a perfect couple making light of serious allegations.
Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota sat alongside her BPF (best political friend), the far-left streamer Hasan Piker, in advance of their joint appearance at an event with State Sen. Omar Fateh in Minneapolis on Monday night.
Their casual chat was recorded and, in unison, they downplayed the recent federal raid on her Washington, D.C., home. Just a "normal week," Omar joked with a Cheshire grin. Piker nodded along. There was some unintelligible banter about "Botox faces" and "fascists." The usual drivel. It seemed scripted.
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Once they took the stage together, at the "I'm the Host Now!" event, Piker kicked his defense of Omar into overdrive with a litany of wretched insults. "Republicans … are the most un-American force in this country. They are terrorists," he proclaimed.
This has become a standard refrain for Piker.
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Then he zeroed in on the accusations that Omar may have lied about her birthdate and true identity to gain citizenship. With the conviction of a zealous preacher in his pulpit, Piker declared, "A paperwork violation does not require deportation."
This would appear to be the first time that anyone speaking on Omar’s behalf has conceded that something in her background or citizenship filings may be amiss. Piker did not explain what the "paperwork violation" was, as convenience would have it.
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But his assertion also had the inconvenience of being wrong. A violation or false statement on U.S. citizenship or naturalization paperwork can, indeed, carry grave consequences. A material omission or misrepresentation can lead to revocation of citizenship and removal.
It does not have to be a criminal act such as fraud to become actionable. Denaturalization can occur — and often does — through civil proceedings in federal court. The standard of proof is "clear and convincing evidence," which is far lower than in criminal prosecutions.
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Even if Omar did not herself misrepresent anything in her paperwork, she could still see her citizenship status vanish.
If her father lied in his application, that could nullify his daughter’s citizenship since hers was derivative of his. If he never obtained legitimate citizenship at all, that would invalidate Omar’s citizenship.
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An honest clerical error or misunderstanding of a question might be forgiven. But that is clearly not what federal authorities are investigating. A U.S. District Court judge in Washington — a Democrat — approved the search of Omar’s home based on compelling evidence of suspected criminality.
That kind of judicial order is not the result of an innocent "paperwork violation," as Piker unknowingly contends.
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In the past, he has happily exploited the Omar case to accuse the Trump administration of targeting her for "political intimidation." This ignores the fact that the original investigation of the congresswoman began under Joe Biden’s presidency.
Piker has also decried the long-running rumors that Omar married her brother to gain immigration benefits as a "heinous lie." How exactly does Piker know that? He wasn’t there when the nuptials took place. Has he ever met the alleged brother-husband, who is reported to be living in London? Doubtful.
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The unvarnished truth is that Piker doesn’t know what he’s yapping about.
But DNA evidence would know. That is probably why the feds were so interested in obtaining it. Testing could answer a multitude of vexing questions.
Are Omar and her ex-husband genetically proven siblings? Is Omar the person she purports to be? She is identified as someone else with a different surname in recent court filings by the U.S. attorney in Washington.
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Platforming Hasan Piker at a campaign event tells you everything you need to know about extremist Democrats who have infected the party like a modern plague.
Sponsoring his appearance implicitly condones his loathsome opinions. Judging him by his ugly rhetoric, this is a guy who is virulently antisemitic and a purveyor of hate.
Yet, there was Ilhan Omar. She appeared all too happy to sit alongside him. Does she share the incendiary and bigoted views that Piker routinely spews? She did not disagree with him when he condemned Republicans as un-American "terrorists."
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Nor has Omar ever denounced Piker’s other grotesque statements. He said that America deserved 9/11 but later apologized for the word "deserved" amid a severe backlash. But he has never retracted — and apparently does not regret — the dehumanizing insults that he has hurled at Jews and Israel. They are too disgusting to repeat here.
Other prominent Minnesota Democrats have castigated Piker. But not Omar. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is running for governor, characterized his sickening statements as "reckless and unacceptable." Rep. Angie Craig called Piker’s demagoguery "polarizing and dangerous."
Piker deserves to be ostracized, not embraced.
Since Ilhan Omar has made little effort to distance herself from his beliefs, one can reasonably conclude that she countenances them. She reveals her true self, relishing his disdain for all things American.
Perhaps it is true that a person is known by the company they keep.