On Monday, former President Donald Trump’s campaign stirred controversy by claiming that Congresswoman Ilhan Omar appeared “not happy” to support Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Omar, a prominent member of the progressive “Squad,” was in attendance at the event held at Chicago’s United Center, where thousands of Democrats gathered for the first night of the convention.
During a call-and-response segment led by Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett, who contrasted Donald Trump with Kamala Harris, the crowd responded with boos for Trump and cheers for Harris. However, a brief video clip of Omar, captured as Crockett mentioned Harris, showed the congresswoman with a distracted expression and her mouth slightly open. The Trump campaign and several conservative commentators quickly seized on the moment, interpreting Omar’s reaction as evidence of dissatisfaction with Harris.
The Trump War Room account on X, formerly known as Twitter, posted the clip with the caption, “Ilhan Omar does NOT look happy to be supporting Kamala—we don’t blame her!” Other conservative voices, such as the “Conservative War Machine” account and media outlet The Blaze, echoed this sentiment, with The Blaze suggesting Omar looked “in disgust” as the crowd cheered for Harris.
Despite these claims, there is little concrete evidence to suggest that Omar is unhappy with Harris’s candidacy. In fact, Omar has been a vocal supporter of Harris. She and other members of “The Squad” endorsed Harris for president almost immediately after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek re-election. Omar expressed her support on X, saying, “Thrilled to support @KamalaHarris as our Democratic nominee and remain committed to working alongside her to defeat Donald Trump in November.”
Omar’s long-standing support for Harris dates back to 2020, when she also endorsed Harris after she was selected as Biden’s running mate. Omar has continued to be an active and influential figure within the Democratic Party, most recently winning her primary election against a pro-Israel candidate by a significant margin.
Despite the attempts by Trump’s supporters to cast doubt on Omar’s enthusiasm for Harris, her actions and statements suggest a consistent and committed backing of the vice president.