Democrats Push Back on Rep. Ilhan Omar Over 2018 Comments on White Men

A resurfaced video of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from 2018 is drawing criticism from within her own party. The footage shows Omar making controversial remarks about white men, and now both a longtime Democratic strategist and a fellow House Democrat are publicly speaking out.

James Carville, a veteran Democratic strategist and former advisor to President Bill Clinton, and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a progressive voice in Congress, both believe Omar’s rhetoric — and that of the broader progressive wing — is hurting the Democratic Party.

“Democrats need to start every speech by saying, ‘America is the greatest country in the world,’” Khanna said during a recent episode of the Politics War Room podcast. Although he has been a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, Khanna believes Democrats should reclaim patriotic messaging.

Carville took a more direct shot at Omar and the far-left faction of the party.

“I’m a liberal Democrat,” Carville said. “But I don’t like — let’s just say — the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. My argument is maybe these people are not worth the trouble. Maybe they should go their own way.”

The criticism centers on a 2018 interview where Omar, discussing extremism, said: “Our country should be more fearful of white men, because they are actually causing most of the deaths within this country.” She continued, “If fear is driving policies to keep Americans safe, then we should be profiling and monitoring white men.”

Carville was blunt in his response: “I don’t know if that’s true. But why say that? Why are we trying to alienate one-third of the people who vote?”

He warned that such rhetoric could damage the party’s ability to build a broad coalition, asking, “Why don’t you people just learn to shut up about this — you’re not helping anyone.”

Khanna also distanced himself from Omar’s remarks. “I think white Americans have done enormous things for our freedom,” he said. “Who scaled the cliffs of Normandy? Many of them were white men.”

Khanna emphasized that his disagreement wasn’t just political — it was deeply personal. “This is a great country. It’s a kind country. It’s a decent country,” he said, reflecting on his family’s immigration story and the opportunities they found in America.

He urged fellow Democrats to embrace a more optimistic message. “Every speech should begin with: ‘America is the greatest country in the world. It’s the most open, the least racist, and we want to make it even better.’”

Carville agreed, adding, “There’s no future in us running against white men.”

In a previous statement to Fox News Digital, Omar defended her comments by referencing a report from the Anti-Defamation League, which said white supremacists were responsible for 78% of extremist-related murders in the U.S. at the time.

She also pivoted to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, accusing her critics of supporting genocide — a claim many have dismissed as inflammatory and misleading.