Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) made comments at an event in September suggesting that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is a terrorist.
The video, which was first reported by CNN, is the second instance of Boebert making Islamophobic comments about the Minnesota lawmaker, who is Muslim and wears a head covering.
Boebert, a staunch conservative and ally to former President Trump, also suggested in a speech over Thanksgiving that Omar was a terrorist.
In a video shared to Facebook of Boebert’s September remarks at a Staten Island Conservative Party dinner, the congresswoman referred to Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) as “blackhearted, evil women” before describing an incident in which she was in an elevator with Omar and felt safe because the Minnesota congresswoman was not wearing a backpack.
“One of my staffers, on his first day with me, got into an elevator in the Capitol. And in that elevator, we were joined by Ilhan Omar,” Boebert said in the video, receiving some groans from the audience. “It was just the three of us in there, and I looked over, and I said, ‘Well, looky there. it’s the jihad squad.'”
“She doesn’t have a backpack. She wasn’t dropping it and running, so we’re good,” Boebert said. Her comments were met with audible laughter from the audience.
Boebert’s comments about Omar at the September dinner were similar those she made last week. The Colorado congresswoman said she was in an elevator with Omar and a Capitol Police officer hurried toward the doors as they were closing. In that story, Boebert also mentioned that Omar did not have a backpack.
Omar has denied that this situation occurred.
After video of the Colorado congresswoman’s comments last week sparked fierce backlash, the two communicated in what both described as a tense phone call on Monday, issuing very different statements about the conversation.
“Today, I graciously accepted a call from Rep. Lauren Boebert in the hope of receiving a direct apology for falsely claiming she met me in an elevator, suggesting I was a terrorist, and for a history of anti-Muslim hate,” Omar said in a statement. “Instead of apologizing for her Islamophobic comments and fabricated lies, Rep. Boebert refused to publicly acknowledge her hurtful and dangerous comments.”
“I wanted to let her know directly that I had reflected on my previous remarks,” Boebert said in a video posted to Instagram. “Now, as a strong Christian woman who values faith deeply, I never want anything I say to offend someone’s religion. So I told her that. Even after I put out a public statement to that effect. She said that she still wanted a public apology because what I had done wasn’t good enough.”
Omar said in a statement to CNN on Monday that she believes Boebert’s behavior is “unhinged” and that she is “emboldened” by the Republican Party.
“This is their brand and it’s dangerous,” Omar said.
Benjamin Stout, a spokesman for Boebert, said in a statement to The Hill that the Congress member had already made an apology to Omar.
“As the Congresswoman already stated, she has reflected on her previous comments and issued a well-publicized apology.”
The Hill has reached out to Omar’s offices for comment.
Updated 5:01 p.m.