WASHINGTON, D.C. (FOX 9) - Rep. Ilhan Omar told Rep. Nancy Mace she belongs in rehab during a war of words on the social media platform X, after Mace said she'd love to see Omar get deported.
Twitter fight
What we know:
The fight began after Rep. Mace, who represents parts of South Carolina, shared a screenshot of a tweet from Rep. Omar from 2022, opining that freedom of expression doesn't protect freedom from consequences.
The argument comes as conservatives have targeted people who made unsavory or offensive remarks about activist Charlie Kirk in the aftermath of his assassination, which has led to some posters being fired from their real-world jobs.
The backstory:
Mace is seeking to have Omar censured and removed from her committee roles over statements Omar made after Kirk's death. Speaking with Mehdi Hasan, a day after Kirk's killing, Omar brought up past remarks Kirk had made about gun violence George Floyd, and slavery.
"There are a lot of people who are out there talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate," said Omar. "There is nothing more effed up than to completely pretend his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so."
Omar faced some backlash from conservatives, leading to Mace filing her resolution.
What they're saying:
"Ilhan Omar said it herself: actions have consequences. Time to live by it, @IlhanMN," tweeted Mace. "If you celebrate murder, maybe Somalia can take you back."
Mace's tweet kicked off Wednesday's firestorm, with Omar responding by saying that Mace wasn't smart, pointing out her resolution doesn't deal with deportation. That's when Mace said she'd love to see Omar get deported to Somalia.
Omar then called Mace crazy, and later wrote: "Would love to see you get the help you need next. You belong in rehab, not Congress."
Mace then brought up allegations of Omar marrying her brother – a rumor that dates back to when Omar was first elected to state office in 2016. Omar has called the accusation baseless and FOX 9 has never been able to verify the rumor levied by conservative outlets.
Why you should care:
A floor debate on Mace's resolution was held on Wednesday.
The House voted 214-213 to table the resolution, effectively ending the effort to remove Omar from her committees.
Four Republicans voted in favor of Omar: Rep. Mike Flood of Nebraska, Rep. Jeff Hurd of Colorado, Rep. Tom McClintock of California and Rep. Cory Mills of Florida.
The Source: This story uses quotes taken from social media posts shared by U.S. House Representatives.