Ilhan Omar calls Tucker Carlson a 'racist fool'

Congresswoman born in war-torn Somalia and spent four years in Kenyan refugee camp before arriving in US

After cable news host Tucker Carlson claimed Representative Ilhan Omar “hates” America and is “dangerous to this country”, Ms Omar responded by calling the pundit a “racist fool”.

During a segment on his Fox News show titled “Dems want you to believe America is an awful place”, Mr Carlson cited the freshman representative as an example of how modern immigration laws have become harmful to America.

Mr Carlson said: "Virtually every public statement she makes accuses Americans of bigotry and racism. This is an immoral country, she says. She has undisguised contempt for the United States and for its people."

"That should worry you, and not just because Omar is now a sitting member of Congress. Ilhan Omar is living proof that the way we practice immigration has become dangerous to this country. A system designed to strengthen America is instead undermining it."

Mr Carlson mentioned a recent profile of Ms Omar in the Washington Post, saying that Ms Omar believes America has "failed to live up to its founding ideals, a place that had disappointed her and so many immigrants, refugees and minorities like her."

The pundit continued, claiming: "After everything that America has done for Omar, and for her family, she hates this country more than ever."

He also pondered if "maybe we are importing people from places who are simply antithetical to ours."

Ms Omar was born in war-torn Somalia, and spent four years in a Kenyan refugee camp before arriving in the United States at 12. Now, at 37, she serves in the House of Representatives as one of the first Muslim women elected to congress.

The politician responded via Twitter soon after the segment aired, saying: "Not gonna lie, it's kinda fun watching a racist fool like this weeping about my presence in Congress", adding two crying emojis.

Ms Omar continued: "No lies will stamp out my love for this country or my resolve to make our union more perfect. They will just have to get used to calling me Congresswoman!"