Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) is "not cute enough" to make up for her failure to "be responsive and available" to the people she serves, according to her Democratic primary challenger.
"To see government not be responsive like that, to the people who pay them, it is offensive to me," Don Samuels, the former Minneapolis City Council member who nearly defeated Omar in the 2022 Democratic primary, said on The Break Down last week. "To not be responsive and available to those people, to meet with them and find out what their concerns are and to answer their tough questions? To not get back to people on the phone?"
Samuels, who is challenging Omar again in next year's primary, continued his critique of the congresswoman's leadership: "Who do you think you are? And who do you think you're working for? You're not cute enough. You don't dress well enough. Nothing about you is attractive enough to overcome that deficit."
Omar, who beat Samuels by just 2 percentage points to secure the Democratic nomination in 2022, lashed out at her opponent's remarks. "It is reminiscent of the worst kinds of lies and misogyny that we are hearing from people like Donald Trump, who think they can say anything about women and get away with it," Omar wrote. "We need civility now more than ever and Don's behavior should be alarming to anyone who agrees."
The congresswoman, who has a long history of using anti-Semitic rhetoric, has sought to promote "civility" in recent weeks by, among other things, regurgitating terrorist propaganda.