Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is calling Vice President Kamala Harris’s decision to embrace the backing of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney—reviled as the architect of the 2003 Iraq War—and his daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), a significant error. Omar, a member of the progressive Congressional faction known as “The Squad,” said Harris’s late attempt to win over Republicans was “a huge misstep.”
The Somali-born Congresswoman contends that by openly campaigning with the Cheneys, Harris and her running mate, Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), only further alienated the pro-Palestinian Uncommitted Movement. This, Omar says, likely cost the 2024 Democratic Party presidential nominee the state of Michigan—where the Uncommitted Movement held considerable influence.
The Uncommitted Movement chose to withhold its backing from Harris due to dissatisfaction with the Biden-Harris government’s approach to the Gaza conflict. Michigan’s substantial Arab and Muslim communities voiced concerns over the perceived lack of accountability placed on Israel for the ongoing violence and destruction in Gaza. Omar highlighted Cheney’s name as being “synonymous with war” for younger generations, suggesting it misrepresented the campaign’s priorities.
As part of their efforts to appeal to disenchanted Republican voters, the Harris-Walz campaign prominently featured Liz Cheney’s endorsement, even organizing an event in Wisconsin with Cheney and Harris. However, Omar critiqued the campaign’s performance in Dearborn, Michigan, an area with a significant Arab population, noting Harris and Walz’s preference to send staff instead of visiting personally. She emphasized that the personal engagement demonstrated by President-elect Donald J. Trump, who met with Dearborn‘s Democratic mayor, influenced the outcome there.
While Omar maintains a critical stance toward Trump, she expressed a willingness to work with the new administration, albeit with a commitment to resist any policies she perceives as detrimental to her constituents.
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