Washington Free Beacon editor in chief Matthew Continetti said that freshman Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) will become a lasting "political problem for the Democrats" if they continue to be the face of the party.
Continetti said that the latest incident involving the two, where a spat with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) spun out into a greater argument with President Donald Trump, fits into a pattern of arguments between House Democrats and Trump.
"Friday, it was 'the squad' insinuating Nancy Pelosi was a racist," he said. "Now, after Trump's comments, it's all about Donald Trump's racism. But I would say this: this is following a very common pattern with Trump controversies. There is some comment, and everyone responds and attacks Trump for the comments, and Republicans slowly begin to denounce the comment. And then invariably the left, the Democratic party, and some elements in the mainstream media overreact, and we have no clear winner."
Continetti added that if Ocasio-Cortez and Omar continue to be the center of attention in Democratic controversies that could be harmful for the party.
"I would say the memory of this controversy will probably fade, but if the association of the Democratic party with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar does not fade, that is a political problem for the Democrats," Continetti said.
The so-called "squad" of Reps. Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Ayanna Pressley (D., Mass.), and Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) held a press conference on Monday afternoon after Trump denounced them in a series of tweets over the weekend. The congresswomen called for Trump's impeachment, despite comments from Pelosi opposing that measure.
Omar accused Trump of endorsing "white nationalism," and without addressing her own anti-Semitic comments, said that he must be held accountable for his actions.
"I have not made impeachment central to my election or my tenure, but since the day that I've gotten elected, I have said to people, it is not if he will be impeached, but when. So it is time for us to stop allowing this president to make a mockery out of our Constitution. It's time for us to impeach this president," Omar said.
"Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path, because it divides the country. And he's just not worth it," Pelosi said in March.