Rep. Ilhan Omar is facing criticism from within her own party after appearing with Hasan Piker, a polarizing left-wing political streamer. Several Minnesota Democratic state senators are now calling for Piker to be denied a public platform.
Omar and Piker appeared Monday in Minneapolis at “I’m the Host Now: Election Edition,” a political discussion and voter-mobilization event organized by Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh.
The gathering was aimed at encouraging voters younger than 40 to participate, as early voting among that age group has declined.
During the event, Omar attacked President Donald Trump and Republican leaders, defended Minnesota’s Somali community and praised local opposition to federal immigration enforcement.
A group of DFL state senators led by Sen. Ron Latz of St. Louis Park released a joint statement condemning the appearance. They accused Piker of promoting hateful rhetoric and argued that sharing a stage with him gave the online commentator undue legitimacy.
“Minnesotans reject hate!” the lawmakers wrote in a pointed criticism of Omar and the other Democrats who participated in the event.
“We strongly object to giving a platform and legitimacy to Hasan Piker, a nationally known Jew-hater, homophobe and misogynist,” the senators said.
Omar has faced repeated criticism over remarks concerning Israel and the treatment of Jewish people.
The controversy over Minnesota’s decision to host Hasan Piker, whose past remarks have repeatedly prompted accusations of antisemitism, spread beyond the state legislature as Jewish community leaders also denounced the event.
Piker, a prominent political commentator with a sizable following among young progressives, has drawn criticism for comments about Israel, U.S. foreign policy and the September 11 attacks.
“We do not need violent rhetoric, anti-American rhetoric,” Republican gubernatorial candidate Lisa Demuth said during a State Capitol news conference focused on fraud.
The criticism also came from outside the legislature. Leaders of Minnesota’s Jewish community condemned the decision to feature Piker, whose previous statements have repeatedly led to accusations of antisemitism.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas called the decision by Omar and Fateh to appear with Piker “a betrayal of Jewish Minnesotans and harmful to the broader public.”
Piker has built a large audience among young progressives, but his commentary on Israel, American foreign policy and the 9/11 attacks has made him a frequent target of controversy.
During a livestream in August 2019, Piker said, “America deserved 9/11, dude.”
He later apologized for using the word “deserved,” calling the wording inappropriate and saying he did not mean that the 3,000 Americans killed in the attacks deserved to die.
In a September interview with Axios, Piker was also questioned about past remarks in which he called for Republican Florida Sen. Rick Scott to die and said landlords deserved to be murdered, with “the streets” covered in their “red capitalist blood.”
Piker has maintained that opponents frequently remove his statements from their broader context. He has also said that some of his intentionally inflammatory comments are meant to challenge accepted political ideas.
Critics, however, argue that such explanations do not resolve the concerns raised by his language.
Omar married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi (right), a British citizen, in February 2009. Records at the time listed their ages as 26 and 23.
Omar’s father, Nur Omar Mohamed (center), attended her swearing-in ceremony with Speaker Nancy Pelosi in January 2019.
Republicans also seized on Piker’s appearance, questioning why Democratic candidates and elected officials had invited him to speak.
“We do not need violent rhetoric, anti-American rhetoric,” Republican gubernatorial candidate Lisa Demuth said at a State Capitol news conference addressing fraud.
Michele Tafoya, the Republican candidate for Senate in Minnesota, said she was shocked that Democrats had given Piker a public platform.
“This is a guy who is really anti-West, anti-American, anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic,” Tafoya told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
Omar defended her participation, saying the appearance was intended to reach younger voters. Her spokesperson said the congresswoman remained “laser-focused on turning out the vote.”
The event took place as Omar faces increased scrutiny over a federal investigation into her immigration history. The matter intensified earlier this month when agents raided her home in Washington, D.C.
According to reports, investigators are examining immigration paperwork completed by Omar’s late father when she was a child and whether documents used to bring her family to the United States contained false information.
The investigation has gained additional political significance following allegations that Trump urged federal prosecutors to pursue Omar.
The New York Times reported that Trump singled out Minnesota’s top federal prosecutor, Daniel Rosen, during a private January meeting with law enforcement officials and told him, “And prosecute Ilhan Omar.”
The White House has rejected claims that the case is politically motivated, saying the Justice Department investigation began before Trump returned to office.
Omar, one of Trump’s most outspoken critics, has accused the administration of using federal law enforcement to target her politically.
She has also denied longstanding allegations that she married her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, to obtain immigration benefits, describing the claims as baseless.
Omar has not been charged with a crime in connection with the current investigation.
She arrived in the United States as a child, became a naturalized citizen in 2000 and has said she did nothing wrong.
Our News Outlet contacted Omar’s office and representatives for Piker for comment on the backlash surrounding the event.
