In an interview with Yellowhammer News on Monday, “Conservative Squad” co-founder Jessica Taylor reacted to U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) recently tweeting that she is “outraged” over the American military killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Taylor, a Prattville businesswoman, is running in the Republican primary to succeed U.S. Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02). Omar is a member of “The Squad,” often referred to as “The Socialist Squad,” also comprised of U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA).
Omar on Thursday evening, after the news of Soleimani’s death broke, tweeted, “So what if Trump wants war, knows this leads to war and needs the distraction? Real question is, will those with congressional authority step in and stop him? I know I will.”
Apparently ignoring Soleimani’s designation (by the Obama administration, no less) as a foreign terrorist and the fact that he is responsible for the death of over 500 Americans, Omar on Friday doubled down, backing Soleimani as an assassinated “foreign official.”
“We are outraged the president would assassinate a foreign official, possibly setting off another war without Congressional authorization and has zero plan to deal with the consequences,” she claimed.
It is unclear why Omar would assume the administration, including the Department of Defense, Department of State, intelligence agencies and the national security apparatus, does not have a “plan to deal with the consequences.”
The administration has said that it has evidence Soleimani was actively planning the deaths of more Americans and that the strike was conducted to avoid a war, not start one.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Top US general: US has compelling intelligence Soleimani was planning significant campaign of violence against US
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) January 3, 2020
In an exclusive statement to Yellowhammer News, Taylor pushed back on Omar’s claims while saying that the Democrats’ words are no longer surprising.
“I’m honestly not surprised that she said that,” Taylor advised. “Many of the things that come out of her mouth are frankly un-American.”
“For her to say that when we had just taken out one of the worst terrorists … for her to say we should not have done that is just astonishing to me,” Taylor continued. “But again, I’m not that surprised.”
Omar infamously last year described the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and their terrorist perpetrators as “some people who did something.” She has also made headlines for her fiery opposition to Israel, which has been viewed as anti-Semitic by many. According to The Washington Post, Israel considered Soleimani as “the mastermind behind decades of terrorism directed against their country.”
RELATED: Byrne hits Omar over Soleimani reaction: ‘We have to wonder what side is she on?’
The Alabama Republican Party in August passed a resolution calling for Alabama’s congressional delegation to seek Omar’s expulsion from Congress.
Taylor has made her opposition to “The Squad” a central theme in her upstart campaign.
“I’m sick of watching folks in my generation talking about socialism like that’s an ideology our nation should embrace,” Taylor said. “That’s exactly why I’m running because, as a young female, I think I can go toe-to-toe with that ‘Squad’ better than any other candidate in this race.”
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
