Politics
Ilhan Omar tells incoming Rep. Don Leonard that Capitol Hill works a lot like high school
Rep. Ilhan Omar says Congress has bullies and cliques of its own. She has tips for Don Leonard, who says top Democrats pressured him.
Ilhan Omar has a message for Don Leonard. Congress can feel a lot like high school, she says. The new guy needs to learn how to hold his own.
The Minnesota Democrat was stopped on Capitol Hill on Thursday and asked about Leonard. The Ohio Rep.-elect claims senior Democrats warned they would make things rough for him if he does not back Hakeem Jeffries.
Her advice
Omar said Leonard should come see her. "I've got some tips for him," she said. Her guidance boiled down to a few rules: hold firm, refuse to be pushed around and never let anyone see you sweat.
She added that nobody has tried to strong-arm her, since people know she is "not to be messed with."
What Leonard says happened
Leonard has said he was told that committee seats, support for his bills plus help with his reelection could all disappear if he does not go along with party leaders.
Omar floated the idea that he might have heard hard-nosed political advice and taken it as a threat. Still, she agreed the Capitol is full of cliques. Her tip was to find one that will go to bat for him.
A seat at her table
The good news for the freshman? Omar says he is welcome to sit with her at lunch.
More like this
Incoming Ohio congressman Don Leonard spells out the price of not backing Hakeem Jeffries
Ilhan Omar vows she will not be silenced after agents search her D.C. home
Obama calls the Ilhan Omar investigation appalling as Homan says investigators have a strong case
Ilhan Omar calls claims she married her brother insane during TV interview