Author: Tod Nace

Fox News host Jeanine Pirro made a few comments on her Sunday show about Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar that have prompted rebukes from both the right and left, as well as her own media network.

Last week Rep. Ilhan Omar was (indirectly) reprimanded by the Democratic party for repeatedly working in anti-Semitic “dual loyalty” references about pro-Israel politicians.

On Sunday, on “Justice with Judge Jeanine,” Pirro dedicated an “Opinion” segment to addressing Omar’s history of anti-Semitic rhetoric. Stressing that anti-Israel sentiments are not a part of the Democrats platform, host Pirro suggested that a deeper loyalty than party loyalty might be at work in Rep. Omar’s case.

Omar’s decision to wear a hijab, said Pirro, might indicate her “adherence to Sharia Law,” which is “antithetical to the United States Constitution.”

“This is not who your party is,” Pirro said in the opinion segment (video below).

“Your party is not anti-Israel. She is! Think about this. She’s not getting this anti-Israel sentiment doctrine from the Democrat Party. So if it’s not rooted in the party, where is she getting it from?” Pirro continued.

“Think about it: Omar wears a hijab, which, according to the Quran 33:59, tells women to cover so they won’t get molested. Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to Sharia Law — which in itself is antithetical to the United States Constitution?” she added.

Jeanine Pirro’s comments received huge backlash from both the Left and Right. Fox News likewise came forward to condemn Pirro’s comments.

“We strongly condemn Judge Jeanine Pirro’s comments about Rep. Ilhan Omar,” Fox said in a statement the statement to Mediaite on Sunday. “They do not reflect those of the network and we have addressed the matter with her directly.”

Host Pirro has responded to the backlash with her own statement, saying that she was trying to “start a debate” and challenging Rep. Omar to come on her show.

“I’ve seen a lot of comments about my opening statement from Saturday night’s show and I did not call Rep. Omar un-American,” said Pirro. “My intention was to ask a question and start a debate, but of course because one is Muslim does not mean you don’t support the Constitution. I invite Rep. Omar to come on my show any time to discuss all of the important issues facing America today.”

This Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a new excuse for Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) anti-Semitism saying that Omar “has a different experience in the use of words.”

Over the past few days many pundits have stated that Nancy Pelosi, who defended Rep. Omar while speaking at the Economic Club in Washington, D.C., has appeared to lose control of the Democratic Party considering the way she has handled the situation.

“The incident that happened, I don’t think our colleague is anti-Semitic,” Pelosi said. “I think she has a different experience in the use of words, doesn’t understand that some of them are fraught with meaning that she didn’t realize.”

On Thursday, Pelosi also defended Omar during her weekly press conference.

“Do you think that Ilhan Omar understands why her comments were problematic?” a reporter asked. “And what happens if this happens again?”

“First of all, thank you for the question,” Pelosi responded. “I don’t think the congresswoman is — perhaps appreciated the full weight of how it’s heard by other people. I don’t believe it was intended in an anti-Semitic way.”

“But the fact is that’s how it was interpreted,” Pelosi continued. “We have to remove all doubt, as we have done over and over again. We’re working now on a resolution on the floor that will, again, speak out against anti-Semitism, anti-Islamophobia, anti-white supremacy and all the forms it takes, that our country has no place for this.”

“She hasn’t apologized,” the reporter pressed. “Does she need to apologize?”

“She may need to explain that she did not — It’s up to her to explain,” Pelosi responded. “But I do not believe she understood the full weight of the words. When you’re a congressman — when you are an advocate out there, as I was. I appreciate all the enthusiasm that comes into Congress. I told you that before. That was me pushing a stroller and carrying those signs. I understand how advocates come in with their enthusiasms.”

“But when you cross that threshold in the Congress, your words weigh much more than when you’re shouting at somebody outside. And I feel confident that her words were not based on any anti-Semitic attitude,” she continued. “But that she didn’t have a full appreciation of how they landed on other people where these words have a history and a cultural impact that might have been unknown to her.”

On Thursday, when Rep. Omar was pressed about whether she needed to apologize for her anti-Semitism she refused to respond.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is known to have strong ties to anti-Semitism, also repeatedly defended Rep. Omar, saying that people were too hard on her.

“I think it’s a learning experience, and it’s part of the fact that when we elect the most diverse Democratic caucus that we have in pretty much ever, it means that we have new communities at the table, new conversations that need to be had, and we have to learn how to have conversations differently every time,” Ocasio-Cortez told CNN’s Manu Raju.

“Do you think that Congresswoman Omar was unfairly singled out?” Raju asked Ocasio-Cortez.

Ocasio-Cortez responded: “You know I think that uh … I think that … you know I, I think that, that, uh, things came down on her a little too hard.”

This Tuesday, Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley introduced legislation to lower the federal voting age from 18 to 16.

Ayanna Pressley cited teen activists pushing for gun control as one of the reasons for giving 16-year-olds the right to vote, which she compared to having a driver’s license.

“Young people are at the forefront of some of our most existential crises,” Pressley added. “The time has come. Our young people deserve to have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.”

Two other Democratic congresswomen also offered their support for Pressley’s legislation, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib and New York Rep. Grace Meng.

“I’m committed to making sure we empower young people to build our future together. Giving them the power to vote will help build a more equitable and just future,” Meng said in a statement posted to Twitter on Tuesday.

Rashida Tlaib posted a tweet showing her support for Pressley’s amendment on Wednesday.

Pressley proposed the change as an amendment to House Democrats’ “For The People Act,” which would amend campaign finance laws.

The left-wing American Civil Liberties Union has already come out against the proposed bill, citing “provisions that unconstitutionally impinge on the free speech rights of American citizens and public interest organizations.”

“They will have the effect of harming our public discourse by silencing necessary voices that would otherwise speak out about the public issues of the day,” the ACLU said in a letter to the House Rules Committee.