Ilhan Omar, State Rep. and DFL-endorsed candidate for congress, and Erin Murphy, State Rep. and DFL-endorsed candidate for Minnesota Governor, discuss the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in Minnesota politics Tuesday, Oct. 9, in Brown Hall at St. Cloud State University. Erin Murphy Ilhan Omar 5
The House narrowly voted Wednesday night to spare Rep. Ilhan Omar from censure, rejecting a Republican-led push to formally punish the Minnesota Democrat over her remarks about the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The vote—214 to 213—tabled a resolution from Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, that would have censured Omar and removed her from her seats on the Education and Workforce and Budget committees. Four Republicans crossed party lines to defeat the measure, joining Democrats who argued that Mace’s proposal was more about political theater than principle.
An Online Fight Brought Into The Real World
Mar 4, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) shouts as U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump was expected to address Congress on his early achievements of his presidency and his upcoming legislative agenda. Mandatory Credit: Win McNamee-Pool via Imagn Images
Omar, who has frequently clashed with Republicans in the past, responded, “Thank you to my colleagues for having my back and not furthering lies on the House floor. Finally some sanity in the House.” The resolution grew out of a social media feud between Mace and Omar, who criticized Kirk’s positions on race and gun rights in the days following his assassination. Mace accused Omar of smearing Kirk and “implying he was to blame for his own murder,” a claim Democrats rejected as distorted and inflammatory.
Lawmakers Are Tiring of the Censure
Censuring Omar would have added her name to a small but growing list of lawmakers formally rebuked in recent years, a sign of how the censure process has become a weapon in partisan battles. Republicans have already used their majority to strip Omar of a Foreign Affairs Committee assignment in 2023. But this time, a handful of their own members balked at taking the step, reflecting growing fatigue with censure votes that have often been more symbolic than substantive.
Trump Used The Vote As An Excuse To Trash Somalia
Sep 11, 2025; Arlington, VA, USA; President Donald Trump speaks at a memorial event at the Pentagon on the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2025, in Arlington, VA. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY via Imagn Images
Trump, however, was quick to fill the void. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday, he blasted Omar as “terrible” and said, “If she got censured, that’s great, if she got impeached, that’s even better.” He also veered into attacks on Somalia, Omar’s country of birth, disparaging its government, economy, and security. Later, on Truth Social, he accused Omar of marrying her brother to gain citizenship, a claim she has repeatedly denied.
One Failed Effort Among Many
In the days since Kirk’s killing, Republicans have used their momentum to push bills and resolutions through the government in his name while condemning what they call “radical left violence.” The failed effort against Omar suggests that not every lawmaker is willing to follow that script, especially when it risks silencing dissent or inflaming partisan divides.
