Representative Ilhan Omar returned home to Minneapolis on Thursday for a town hall meeting, where she was greeted by dozens of supporters, who cheered upon her arrival at the airport.
“It feels good to be home,” Omar said when she met her supporters.
She was in Minneapolis for a town hall with Washington Representative Pramila Jayapal, intended to focus on their advocacy for “Medicare for All.” But the town hold attendees also said they had come to express their support for Omar amid attacks from President Donald Trump, who recently said Omar should “go back” to her country, accusing her of anti-Semitism.
“He’s threatened because we are inspiring people to dream about a country that recognizes their dignity and humanity,” Omar told her supporters greeting her at the airport.
At the beginning of the town hall an hour later, Omar was again greeted with a standing ovation.
“I know there are a lot of people that are trying to distract us now, but I want you all to know that we are not going to let them,” she stressed. “I’m going to continue to do the work on behalf of the 5th (District), because you all send me to Washington to do the important work of progressing our country.”
Jayapal later called Omar “a great American, a great patriot, a great champion for workers… who is shaking up Congress and the United States of America in all the best ways.”
Omar spoke about Medicare for All for an hour and a half, telling the crowd that “Keeping with the status quo on health care is wasteful. Keeping the status quo with health care is deadly for many Americans. Keeping with the status quo on health care is psychologically impacting many of us. Keeping with the status quo in health care can no longer be sustained by Americans.”
Some supporters said after the town hall that they had come to show Omar that they backed her up, also expressing concerns about her safety amid attacks by Trump.
“I worry for her. I know that she puts on a face, but (I’m) worried for her safety with the way Trump is riling up supporters against her,” said one of her supporters.
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