Donald Trump Jr lashed out at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in an inflammatory tweet Sunday. The president's eldest son accused the Democratic politician of losing control of her party to freshman representatives Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
"We've reached a sad point where [Nancy Pelosi] is so terrified of offending her new bosses, Omar/AOC/Tlaib, that those 3 could submit a resolution deeming 911 an inside job & I'm confident that 95% of House Dems would still be too afraid to cross them," he wrote. "They run the Dem Party now."
The three representatives have attracted significant media attention in spite of their short time in Congress. Known for their left-wing political views, the young politicians are often portrayed as a dividing force within the Democratic party.
Omar recently sparked a backlash with comments she made about the impact of 9/11 on the Muslim community. During a speech to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in March, the Minnesota congresswoman said: "For far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and, frankly, I'm tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it. Cair was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties."
On Thursday, The New York Post published an image of the Twin Towers attack on its front page with the words: "Rep. Ilhan Omar: 9/11 was 'Some people did something..."Here's your something ... 2,977 people dead by terrorism."
Although some praised the move on social media, others, like The Daily Beast editor Harry Siegel, as "ugly."
Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez have also faced their share of controversy. Tlaib found herself in hot water soon after taking her seat in Congress when she said: "we're going to impeach the motherfucker," referring to Trump.
Ocasio-Cortez received significant criticism from conservative commentators over her "Green New Deal" resolution—environmental legislation that would significantly reduce U.S. use of fossil fuels and create large numbers of green jobs. Critics said the resolution was unrealistic and expensive.
Speaking on CBS' 60 Minutes Sunday, Pelosi dismissed the notion the "AOC wing" is a divisive force in the Democratic party.
"Over here on the left flank are these self-described socialists, on the right, these moderates...It looks as if...it's fractured," said interviewer Lesley Stahl. "You have these wings—AOC, and her group on one side—"
Pelosi interjected: "That's like five people."
"No...the progressive group is more than five," Stahl continued.
"Well..I'm a progressive," Pelosi responded.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Katherine Hignett is a reporter based in London. She currently covers current affairs, health and science. Prior to joining Newsweek ... Read more
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