Ilhan Omar confronts CNN's Kaitlan Collins over Charlie Kirk video in CNN interview

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., sparred with CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Friday over a video Omar posted that targeted Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and over her remarks about him.

Collins pressed Omar on why she reposted the clip in which Kirk is described with terms such as Dr. Frankenstein and his monster shooting him, asking how she could defend sharing content that could be interpreted as inflammatory. Omar said there were a lot of things in the video that she did agree with, even as she criticized Kirk's broader record. "I do believe he was a reprehensible, hateful man," she told Collins, referencing his remarks about various identities and his stated views on equality and access. She argued that Kirk "didn’t believe we should have equal access to anything" and suggested the conversation about him should not be forgotten. "Where are we missing this conversation about who this man was and the things that he said?" she asked.

Omar noted that she did not share the sentiments with the aim of praising all of Kirk's words; Collins, however, pressed the point, asking why she would not condemn the rhetoric more directly. "You think I don’t have the brain processing power like you or a White man?" Omar challenged, prompting Collins to respond, "Of course not." Omar said she respects Collins' right to hold her own views but defended the broader point that a public figure's words—especially those directed at minority communities—deserve scrutiny. "I am not going to sit here and be judged for not wanting to honor any legacy this man has left behind," she said. "That should be in the dustbin of history, and we should hopefully move on and forget the hate that he spewed every single day." She added that there are "a lot of people who are out there talking" about civil debate, while arguing that many of Kirk's statements reflected larger racial and social divides that deserve attention.

As the interview unfolded, Collins pressed back on the idea that criticism of Kirk could be equated with threats or the suppression of debate. Collins told Omar that she does not subscribe to the framing that Omar was trying to impose, highlighting the difference between criticizing a public figure and endorsing violence or personal attacks. Omar framed her response as an insistence on accountability rather than erasure, noting that many of Kirk's past remarks included controversial positions on guns, policing, and history. "Guns save lives" and arguments that downplay the death of George Floyd, and remarks about slavery and Juneteenth, were cited by Omar as examples of the kinds of statements she believes should be examined rather than memorialized. "Charlie Kirk was someone who once said, ‘Guns save lives’ after a school shooting," Omar said. "Charlie was someone who was willing to debate and downplay the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police … downplay slavery and what Black people have gone through in this country by saying Juneteenth should never exist." She added that there is a broader problem when the public discourse rewards civility without condemning harmful rhetoric.

In a separate interview with Mehdi Hasan on Zeteo, Omar said she both criticized Kirk and defended parts of his approach to public discourse, a maneuver that drew criticism from some media figures who argued it undercut a clear rebuke of his record. Omar expressed condolences for Kirk's family but maintained that the public conversation should not gloss over elements of his rhetoric that she described as harmful. The exchange underscored a broader political dynamic in which Democratic lawmakers navigate social-media scrutiny and select moments of critique that can become flashpoints in media coverage. Omar also sought to remind viewers that her goal is to push accountability, not to erase every critique of a public figure.

The discussion comes as Omar, who attended the Democratic National Convention with her husband, Tim Mynett, continues to engage with a wide range of media outlets and political audiences as she weighs how best to challenge opponents while preserving civil debate. "There are people out there who want to have a civil debate," she said, "but that does not mean we withhold accountability for statements that harm communities."