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Intercept Podcast Host Presses Omar On Sanders Endorsement

Freshman Dem previously said Sanders's 'ship might have sailed'

October 24, 2019

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) on Wednesday faced questions from the Intercept's Mehdi Hasan about her endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) despite previously saying the Vermont senator missed his opportunity to become president.

Omar joined liberal activist Michael Moore on Hasan's Deconstructed podcast, where Hasan pressed Omar on comments she made about Sanders during an interview on the same podcast last September. Hasan mentioned to Omar that she had praised Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) and said Sanders's "ship might have sailed."

"Just over a year ago, you were on this show," Hassan said. "I interviewed you. You were running for Congress and I asked you if Bernie Sanders should run for president again and you said, quote, 'I actually believe that ship might have sailed.'"

"I asked you what you made of Elizabeth Warren and you said, quote, 'I think I would be excited about a Warren candidacy. I’ve always thought of myself as part of the Warren wing of the party,'" he added.

Hasan then asked Omar what had changed over the last 12 months. Omar laughed, saying, "Mehdi always comes with receipts."

She then replied that sometimes people have to be reminded about the vision they "truly believe in."

"For me, I know that there are people that have to switch some things around and there are people who are just easy to believe in and I was reminded Bernie is one of those people," Omar said.

Hasan pressed Omar again, asking if Warren had "switched things around."

Omar hesitated before acknowledging that Warren "has a plan for everything," but added she believes Sanders is the candidate to carry out the visions and ideas proposed by Warren and other progressives in the Democratic Party.