How Would You Feel About Ilhan Omar Being Deported?
A prominent progressive senator is distancing his political movement from several positions that have become liabilities for Democrats in recent elections.
His comments prompted questions for one of Congress’ best-known progressive lawmakers, who was pressed on whether activists and candidates associated with the movement had actually embraced the policies he was dismissing.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., responded Friday after Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said that “no serious person” running for office supports defunding the police, despite the issue’s prominent role in progressive politics following the 2020 death of George Floyd.
Sanders made the comments during an Aug. 5 appearance on the “Pod Save America” podcast with former Obama administration speechwriter Jon Favreau.
Favreau asked Sanders about Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates who have supported policies including abolishing prisons, defunding or abolishing police departments and eliminating national borders.
“No serious person that I know who is running for office believes in, quote unquote, defunding the police,” Sanders responded.
Sanders acknowledged problems within some law enforcement agencies while arguing that police officers continue to perform a necessary and difficult job.
“We need to get rid of racism” in police departments, Sanders said while discussing reforms he believes are necessary.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins subsequently confronted Omar about Sanders’ characterization and asked whether the Vermont senator was correct that no serious candidates were advocating defunding the police.
Omar pointed to Minneapolis and the political environment following Floyd’s death while explaining why the issue became particularly important in her community.
“For us in Minneapolis, with the murder of George Floyd, we had to have a deeper conversation about what really it looked like for us to address public safety here,” Omar said.
“We had a police department that was essentially problematic,” she continued.
Omar argued that the discussion changed once the Minneapolis debate became a national political issue.
“And when that conversation becomes nationalized, then you sort of get the kind of messaging that gets sort of lost in the void,” she said.
“Minneapolis has come a long way. We still have a long way to go. And I think that is sort of what Bernie was speaking to,” Omar added.
Collins pressed Omar specifically on Sanders’ assertion that “no serious person” running for office supported defunding police departments.
“I mean, when he says that, I think he’s talking about someone putting forth a piece of legislation,” Omar responded.
“And to that regard, I would say that he is right,” she continued. “I haven’t seen any pieces of legislation or ordinances come through in the United States since 2020.”
The exchange comes as DSA-backed candidates have scored victories in several Democratic primaries, bringing renewed scrutiny to some of the organization’s more controversial positions.
DSA national co-chair Megan Romer defended the organization’s support for abolishing institutions including the Senate and Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a Fox News appearance last month.
Sanders, who identifies as a democratic socialist but is not a member of the Democratic Party, also rejected several other positions associated with elements of the socialist movement during his conversation with Favreau.
Asked about abolishing prisons, Sanders said he wants the United States to incarcerate fewer people but rejected eliminating imprisonment for dangerous criminals.
“I hope the day comes when we don’t lead the world in the number of people who are in custody,” Sanders said. “That speaks very poorly of our society.”
“But does that mean that there should not be dangerous people who should be behind bars? Of course, everybody agrees with that,” he added.
Sanders was equally direct when discussing immigration and the idea of eliminating borders.
“Open borders? No,” Sanders said. “We all, most of us, believe in comprehensive immigration reform, not opening up all the borders.”
Sanders argued that conservatives amplify the most controversial proposals associated with the political left, but maintained that “most serious candidates” do not embrace those positions.
Here We Go — First 2028 Democrat Makes the Announcement
The 2028 presidential election is still more than two years away, but Democrats are already making moves to gain whatever advantage they can with primary voters.
For instance, California Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to Michigan, a vital swing state, earlier this week, where he held a series of campaign events.
Another Democrat being mentioned as a potential presidential contender is Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, who was asked about a 2028 presidential run in an interview with MS NOW on Wednesday.
“No. I have zero interest in running for president in 2028,” he said.
When pressed, he added: “My purpose is not to gain attention. My purpose is to do my job and do it well.”
Meanwhile, the Republican field is a lot clearer.
The most obvious choice would be Vice President JD Vance, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s name has been mentioned more than a few times, as he has taken on several roles for President Trump in addition to his duties as secretary of state.
That said, according to Fox News, the president told donors during a private Oval Office meeting in late July that “at the end of the day, we need to elect JD,” suggesting he may be leaning toward Vance while stopping short of a formal endorsement.
“At the end of the day, we need to elect JD,” an anonymous source first told The Washington Post.
While Vance remains the leading figure in many early hypothetical 2028 Republican presidential polls, Rubio has gained ground in several national surveys, early-state polls and Republican straw polls ahead of a nominating contest that is not expected to begin in earnest until after the 2026 midterm elections.
According to The New York Post, however, Trump’s remarks should not be interpreted as an indication that he has definitively chosen between Vance and Rubio as a potential successor.
But the comments have drawn attention because they offer a rare glimpse into Trump’s long-term political thinking.
During a donor event in Las Vegas on Aug. 5, Trump mentioned Vance once, praising him for his work on combating fraud.
“He’s doing a great job,” Trump said of the vice president.
Rubio, who represented Florida in the U.S. Senate before joining the Trump administration, was one of more than a dozen Republicans who sought the party’s presidential nomination in 2016 before losing to Donald Trump.
Earlier this year, Rubio finished second to Vance in the closely watched 2028 Republican presidential nomination straw poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), receiving 35% to Vance’s 53%.
Those results, along with recent national and early-state polling, have fueled speculation about a potential rivalry between Rubio and Vance as possible contenders for the 2028 Republican nomination, even as both men have publicly described each other as friends.
Rubio has also said he would not seek the GOP nomination if Vance does and would instead support the vice president.
“The president runs this administration: He is the very top of the administration; he makes orders,” Vance told “The Ingraham Angle” in an exclusive sit-down interview.
“We, of course, have debates and conversations about what exactly we should do, but when the president of the United States makes a decision, we’re unified in this administration in carrying out that mission,” he added.
Although Vance was selected as Trump’s running mate in the 2024 election, Trump has also repeatedly praised Rubio for his work on foreign policy, including diplomatic efforts involving Venezuela, Cuba and the Middle East.
Rubio has also served in multiple senior national security roles within the administration.
Trump has said Rubio could become “the greatest secretary of state in history.”
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For his part, Trump has floated a Vance-Rubio 2028 ticket.
The president has described a potential Republican ticket featuring Vance and Rubio as “unstoppable,” while declining to indicate which of the two should head such a ticket.
