WATCH: Ilhan Omar Explains Why Her Love for America Is ‘Way More’ Real Than Trump’s

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Rep. Ilhan Omar said in an appearance on MSNBC on Sunday that she loves America “way more” than President Donald Trump does.

The video: Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, appeared on “The Week with Joshua Johnson” to address comments President Donald Trump made about her the previous day at a campaign rally in Muskegon, Michigan.

  • Trump repeated his claim that Omar, one of the first Muslim women in Congress, “hates our country” and predicted she would help him win Minnesota.

Omar told MSNBC’s Joshua Johnson: “It’s really also just astonishing to see the way in which he characterizes what love for this country is.”

  • “I would certainly reckon not only Somalis, but myself, the governor of Michigan, our [House] speaker all love this country way more than the president, who is destroying not only the presidency but everything this country stands for,” she said.
  • Omar then said she was not “questioning really [Trump’s] love for this country” but rather “his love for leadership and governance,” claiming “he wants to model himself after the dictators he is in love with.”

In addition to the “unravelling” line, Omar reiterated past allegations that Trump has “incited violence” against her and that the GOP is rife with anti-Muslim sentiment.

The meaning of patriotism: Trump has often questioned Omar’s loyalty to the United States, citing her left-wing views and her alleged trivialization of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

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But Omar has insisted she is at least as patriotic as any other American.

  • At a July 13 progressive convention, she said: “I believe, as an immigrant, I probably love this country more than anyone that is naturally born and because I am ashamed of it continuing to live in its hypocrisy.”
  • In a July 4 interview, Omar accused “a lot of Americans” who support Trump of not understanding the meaning of “true patriotism,” which she suggested is about protecting constitutional rights not supporting the president.
By We'll Do It Live