Embattled Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) quipped Monday that the media pays close attention to her because she and Hasan Piker look “really good” on camera, making the remark before appearing at a controversial event with the far-left streamer accused of antisemitic rhetoric.
Omar made the comment during a livestream hosted by Piker, who spoke with the “Squad” member from a green-room couch shortly before they took the stage. The gathering was organized by Omar Fateh, a socialist Minnesota state lawmaker.
During the casual exchange, Piker told Omar that the press often focuses on their activities. “I feel like the media has a tendency, you know, to highlight everything that you do,” he said. Piker argued that they were simply “normal Americans” going about their daily lives and organizing against the Trump administration, as he said white Americans do as well.
“Why is that?” Piker asked.
Omar replied, “We just look really good on their screens.”
The appearance marked the first installment of Fateh’s new series, titled “I’m The Host Now!”
Fateh is Somali-American, while Omar was born in Somalia.
The event quickly faced backlash from Republican officials and Jewish advocacy organizations.
John Nagel, Omar’s Republican opponent in the upcoming midterm election, criticized the congresswoman in a post on X, saying she “knows exactly who Hasan Piker is and what he has said.”
Nagel pointed to several of Piker’s most controversial statements, including his reported claim that “America deserved 9/11” and his assertion that he would choose Hamas over Israel “every single time.”
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“This is not outreach. It is the normalization of antisemitism, support for terrorists and contempt for America,” Nagel wrote. He also called on leading Minnesota Democrats to denounce Omar’s decision to appear alongside Piker.
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“Peggy Flanagan, Keith Ellison and every Minnesota Democrat must answer: Do they stand with Jewish Minnesotans, or with Ilhan Omar and Hasan Piker?” Nagel said.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas said it was “appalled” that Omar had chosen to share a stage with Piker.
“Elevating someone with a longstanding record of antisemitic and hateful rhetoric is a betrayal of Jewish Minnesotans and harmful to the broader public,” the organization said in a statement.
The JCRC added that Piker’s rhetoric dehumanizes Jews and places responsibility for antisemitic violence on its possible victims. Such remarks, the group said, warrant “unequivocal condemnation” from anyone who claims to oppose bigotry and antisemitism.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Lisa Demuth also expressed disbelief that Democratic leaders had brought “a vile anti-American left-wing radical to Minnesota” just one week before the election.
“This is the Democrats (sic) closing message to voters,” Demuth said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
