Fact Checking a Now-Deleted Ilhan Omar Tweet

Omar originally claimed journalist Julia Ioffe made racist claims about the war in Ukraine before correcting herself.

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In a now-deleted tweet, Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar on Thursday shared a viral TikTok clip of part of journalist Julia Ioffe’s March 15 CNN interview. In the clip Ioffe says: “It’s one thing for sarin gas to be used on people in faraway Syria who are Muslim or of a different culture. What is Europe going to do when it’s on European soil done to Europeans?”

Omar’s tweet, which can still be viewed here, read: “I can’t believe this has to be stated, but suggesting it’s ok to use sarin gas on people who are Muslim or Syrian is sick and evil. Let’s hope there is an explanation forthcoming from @juliaioffe because this clip as it stands is horrific and can’t be left without condemnation.”  

Ioffe herself has clarified that the viral clip is incomplete, and Omar has deleted her tweet and issued an apology to Ioffe.

But the incorrect clip continues to circulate on social media. 

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  1. Randall Briggs

    Ilhan Omar has racism and Islamophobia on the brain.

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  2. tla

    People like Omar see what they want to see. I'm glad she apologized but it's symbolic of the type of dialogs we have - where there is absolutely no good faith effort made.

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  3. Avatar photo
    Chris L

    Remember that too much of the media and (especially) social media is all about thoughtless, kneejerk reactions to blurts without context, just to get that oh-so-sweet dopamine surge that comes with rage-tweeting and board-warrioring, all leading to personal degradation, and then resulting in sound and fury signifying nothing. What is supposed to happen is listening, processing, thinking rationally, and then realizing that something isn't quite right, letting things ruminate before coming to a more reasoned conclusion.

    As such, let's use this as an opportunity to appreciate The Dispatch's adhering to only a daily news cycle.

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  4. Kurt Von Fuchs

    So the congresswoman heard something that sounded terrible responded to it then discovered that she had heard it was an accurate and apologize this is the way adults are supposed to behave.

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  5. AHenry

    Some of it is our current president. Our last president ordered an attack in response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria...

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    1. Randall Briggs

      What, exactly, is Biden's responsibility here? In your opinion, is he supposed to order an attack on Russia? Or on Ukraine? Or somewhere else?

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      1. AHenry

        The US has a responsibility to defend Ukraine. We gave them a guarantee that we would defend them when we disarmed them in the 90s.

        Biden initially stopped the flow of arms that happened under Trump. Even while Biden was warning of an impending Russian invasion, the US did nothing. It was not until after the war began and our NATO allies began to help that Biden reacted and pitched in.

        Now, in addition to everything Biden has done, he should call for Russia's suspension (if not their removal) from the UN Security Council (it won't happen). Biden should walk away from negotiations with the Iranians and Russians over Iranian uranium enrichment.

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        1. Randall Briggs

          About "the flow of arms that happened under Trump," you are glossing over the role of the U.S. Congress in authorizing those arms as well as the role of Trump in holding those arms hostage in an attempt to get Ukraine to issue some lies to help Trump get re-elected. Trump doesn't give a damn about Ukraine, about NATO, about America's role in the world, about you, or about me. He only cares about himself. A namby-pamby as Biden has been at times on Ukraine, he's been much better than Trump. He's much more predictable, and he's much less likely to try to use aid to blackmail the Ukrainian government.

          I agree with your comment on negotiations over Iranian nuclear enrichment.

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  6. Raincheck

    Some of it is race. Some of it is caring more about what happens your own backyard. About events that reverberate with your own history. About an aggressor who poses a threat to your own county. Probably most of it is not race. No one wanted to see what happened in Syria, but it was remote. It could be ignored.

    If Russia invaded British Columbia then Americans would be even more invested.

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  7. John Townson

    Did anyone consider the fact that Putin represents a far more immediate threat to western values and existence ( he is loaded with nukes after all, and he is right on their border) than does a conflict in Syria?

    If all you see is racism then it's all racism all the way down.....

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  8. Avatar photo
    CynthiaW

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  9. Gerald Cuesta

    And Omar did what adults do in such a case. Unlike the likes of Carlson, Greene, bohbert, cawthorn, and the former president life long trash can, et al.

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    1. Avatar photo
      Logical

      You forgot to add the cretins hiding in the crevices of the orange swamp for the last five years: Rubio and Cruz.

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    2. Keaton

      Omar has nothing to add to conversation regarding Ukraine and so she’s trying to change the subject to include race so she can speak about something she purports to be knowledgeable on.

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      1. Avatar photo
        Logical

        If Omar has nothing add, then 423 other congressmen have nothing to add.

        Omar did the right thing

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    Victor Clairmont

    Thank you for the fact check——

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