Omar's Defenders
 
As we reported recently, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) created quite a stir when she spoke at a fundraising dinner for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).  She flippantly dismissed the atrocities of 9/11 by saying that "some people did something."
 
Many Americans were outraged by her statement.  One of those outraged Americans is retired New York firefighter Jim Riches, whose son Jimmy was killed on 9/11.  Responding to Omar, Riches said:
 
"My son Jimmy was murdered by Islamic terrorists. Three thousand people were murdered that day.  And Rep. Ilhan Omar said some people did something. That's ridiculous. It's outrageous. It's a disgrace."
 
President Trump was also upset by Omar's comment.  He tweeted a video of footage from the horrific day with the caption, "WE WILL NEVER FORGET!"
 
Predictably, the left erupted in howls of rage.  Nancy Pelosi accused the president of endangering Omar's life.
 
At the time, I criticized Omar for being unable or unwilling to say who attacked us and for seemingly embracing conspiracy theories about the attack.  It would have been a perfect opportunity for her, in front of a large Muslim audience, to denounce terrorism committed in the name of Allah. 
 
Well, guess who is coming to Omar's defense?  Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, a rabid anti-Semite and "9/11 truther."  (By the way, David Duke has defended Omar in the past too.)
 
In a series of tweets, the Nation of Islam account posted links to a video of Farrakhan denying that radical Muslims attacked us on 9/11 and declaring, "Rep. Ilhan Omar just scratched the surface."  The tweets include the hashtag, "IStandWithIlhan."
 
In other words, the Nation of Islam is implying that Rep. Omar agrees with Louis Farrakhan -- that the Bush Administration, aided by "Israelis and Zionist Jews," attacked us on 9/11 in order to get us into a war with Islam.
 
I checked Rep. Omar's Twitter and Facebook accounts, as well as her congressional website.  Maybe I missed it, but I did not see any posts or statements distancing herself from Farrakhan's embrace or his disgusting claims about 9/11. 
 
Once again, Rep. Omar has a chance to make a clear and unambiguous statement about 9/11, the war against radical Islamic terrorism and Louis Farrakhan's anti-Semitism.  I hope and pray she rises to the occasion this time.
 
 
 
Barr Gets Tough
 
Last week, President Trump decided to shake up the leadership at the Department of Homeland Security.  He said we needed to "go in a tougher direction" in order to get control of the crisis at the southern border.
 
Yesterday, Attorney General William Barr took a big step in that direction.  He issued an order instructing the Department of Homeland Security to detain migrants during their asylum hearings instead of releasing them. 
 
We know that the overwhelming majority (about 80%) of migrants do not qualify for refugee status.  We also know that 92% of illegal migrant families ignore their deportation orders once they have been released into the country. 
 
So, in addition to holding migrants in Mexico while their asylum claims are assessed, those who are allowed into the country for a hearing will no longer be released on bond.  They will be detained for the duration of their hearing and then released or deported depending on the immigration judge's decision.
 
Barr's decision eliminates one opportunity for illegal immigrants to game the system.
 
 
 
African Immigrant Attacked
 
An immigrant from West Africa was brutally attacked a few days ago in Montgomery County, Maryland.  You didn't hear about this story on the evening news because the immigrant was attacked for wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat.
 
Atsu Nable came to the United States from Togo in 2007 and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen.  Like many immigrants, he is proud of America and the rights he enjoys here.  "I came here for freedom," he said. 
 
Yet when he went for a walk in his Maryland neighborhood this past weekend, he was attacked by two thugs who objected to his "MAGA" hat.  Just one more example of the left's growing intolerance and fascist tactics.
 
 
 
A Warning To AOC
 
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez released a new video today promoting the Green New Deal.  Perhaps this will be a better rollout than the last one, which included talking points about "farting cows." 
 
But AOC and other progressives might want to think twice about embracing the Green New Deal, or as Nancy Pelosi mockingly put it, "whatever they call it." 
 
Voters in Alberta, Canada's fourth most populous province, just ousted the liberal government after only one-term in power.  The main issue:  Alberta's new carbon tax. 
 
Last year, conservatives won big in Ontario after campaigning hard against the left's radical energy taxes.  And big energy taxes are the cause of the recent "Yellow vest" protests in Paris.
 
 
 
Decline & Hope
 
The fire that engulfed Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral was heartbreaking to see, not just because of the damage that it caused to one of the world's iconic buildings. 
 
The fire was a poignant reminder of the destruction that the secular West has inflicted on Judeo-Christian civilization. The burning of the cathedral, with all the faith, culture, and history that it represents, was also a warning to the West: We must preserve and defend what we cherish. 
 
Read more in my latest opinion piece at The Washington Examiner.