Veteran journalist and public affairs specialist Clint Brewer said U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) claim that the Trump administration is “running scared” may reveal more about the Minnesota Democrat’s own position as she faces a federal criminal investigation than about her political opponents.
Appearing on Wednesday’s episode of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Brewer criticized Omar’s remarks in a social media video thanking donors and soliciting additional contributions following an October 12 search of her Washington, D.C., home by Homeland Security Investigations agents.
“I consider the phrase ‘They’re running scared’ one of the greatest tells in politics,” Brewer said.
“Generally, when anybody says the other side is running scared, it’s actually the person who says it who’s running scared,” he added, noting that politicians from both parties use the phrase.
“It’s one of the most annoying phrases in politics,” Brewer said. “It usually means you’re the one running scared, is what it means.”
Omar posted the roughly one-minute video after the search, thanking supporters who sent donations and urging them to continue contributing as she campaigns for reelection ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
“We know that they’re running scared,” Omar said in the video. “We’re not going to be intimidated, we’re not going to be silenced. We’re not going to be scared.”
She also pledged to campaign to help Democrats win control of the House and Senate and hold the Trump administration accountable.
Brewer questioned whether Omar would appear publicly on the campaign trail as she promised, arguing that the legal questions surrounding the investigation could make public appearances difficult.
“Every time she goes out in public, there is going to be a gaggle of reporters walking around her asking her all the questions…It’s not in her legal best interest to answer,” Brewer said.
He added that Omar could face pressure to avoid discussing the investigation publicly while her legal team assesses the case.
“She isn’t going anywhere because she doesn’t want to answer any questions because, legally, she should not be answering any questions,” Brewer said.
Brewer also rejected the argument that the investigation should automatically be viewed as political retaliation by the Trump administration.
“I think members of Congress ought to live by the same law as everybody else, and if you’ve broken the law, you ought to be accountable for it like every other American,” he said. “She doesn’t get a special pass or a walk because she’s a member of Congress.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Ilhan Omar” by Ilhan Omar.
