Sen. Kamala Harris
Kamala HarrisNew administration offers hope to survivors of sexual violence Manchin 'couldn't believe' seeing Harris's West Virginia TV interview Sanders baseball card of inauguration meme breaks sales record set by Fauci MORE (D-Calif.) defended Rep. Ilhan Omar
Ilhan OmarOmar proposes tax on trades in response to GameStop stock Progressives urge Biden to back recurring direct payments Democrats poised to impeach Trump again MORE (D-Minn.) on Thursday as the freshman congresswoman endures a storm of controversy surrounding her criticism of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and Israel as well as accusations of anti-Semitism.
Harris, who is running for president in 2020, wrote in a statement obtained by HuffPost that the continued attention directed at Omar, one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress, puts her at risk of possible violence.
"We all have a responsibility to speak out against anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, racism, and all forms of hatred and bigotry," Harris said.
"But like some of my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, I am concerned that the spotlight being put on Congresswoman Omar may put her at risk," she added.
NEW — Kamala Harris statement on Ilhan Omar pic.twitter.com/jmNXszdrsy
— Amanda Terkel (@aterkel) March 6, 2019
Her statement echoed that of the Congressional Black Caucus's chairwoman, Rep. Karen Bass
Karen Ruth BassDemocrats point fingers on whether Capitol rioters had inside help Rep. Bass tweets photo of Trump in response to FBI call for information on rioters San Francisco mayor says Harris replacement pick 'a real blow to the African American community' MORE (D-Calif.), who said Thursday that the attention from the media and from her fellow lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, was "inappropriate."
“I think it's inappropriate to just focus on one person. I absolutely do," Bass said.
Harris's fellow 2020 contender Sen. Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersThe president has changed, but Washington hasn't Biden aides signal president is open to talks on COVID-19 relief Sunday shows - COVID-19 relief dominates MORE (I-Vt.) also defended Omar on Wednesday, calling the attention surrounding the freshman congresswoman an attempt to silence legitimate criticism of Israel.
“What I fear is going on in the House now is an effort to target Congresswoman Omar as a way of stifling that debate," he said in a statement. “That's wrong.”
Omar issued an apology earlier this month after tweeting that it was "all about the Benjamins," a reference to a song lyric, after a journalist questioned why she was the subject of criticism from lawmakers who support Israel's relationship with the U.S.
She also came under fire in recent days for a tweet that questioned why she was expected to show loyalty to Israel in order to serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
