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Ilhan Omar Supports Joe Biden in 2024. But Does She Mean It?

Ilhan Omar
U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar speaking with supporters of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders at a town hall hosted by Frontline Communities of Nevada at the SEIU Nevada office in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar pledged her support for President Joe Biden in a likely 2024 run this week, telling an individual recording with their cell phone outside the Capitol building that she would “of course” support the president.

Omar repeated the words twice, insisting that she would give the president her backing if he chooses to run again. She did not, however, appear particularly enthusiastic about it.

Omar’s comments were a break from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York congresswoman who caused a stir this week when she refused to confirm her support for the president in 2024. During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” host Dana Bash asked Ocasio-Cortez whether she would back Biden in a 2024 run.

“You know, if the president chooses to run again in 2024, I mean, first of all, I’m focused on winning this majority right now and preserving a majority this year in 2022,” Ocasio-Cortez replied.

“So…we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I think if the president has a vision and that’s something certainly we’re all willing to entertain and examine when the time comes.”

AOC Still Probably Isn’t Running – Nor Is Sanders

Ilhan Omar’s comments could indicate that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez isn’t running for president in 2024 after all.

Despite indicating in 2021 that she wasn’t considering a run for president, her comments this month reignited rumors that she could be considering a run for the top office.

After the New York congresswoman refused to pledge her support to the incumbent president, speculation arose that she may be preparing for a presidential run herself. By 2024, AOC would be 35 years of age, meaning she would qualify to run for president.

However, given how closely aligned Reps. Omar and Ocasio-Cortez are on virtually every political issue, an AOC run would almost certainly garner the support of her closest allies.

Unless Omar is unaware of a possible AOC run, it seems unlikely at this stage that the progressive New York congresswoman is considering a run herself and more likely that she simply isn’t convinced President Joe Biden is up to the job.

??Ilhan Omar breaks with AOC on support for a Biden 2024 run??

“In a video obtained by @FoxNews, @IlhanMN was asked… whether she would support @JoeBiden in his re-election endeavors in 2024. ‘Of course,’ Omar responded twice.”https://t.co/VFQ4YvymwN pic.twitter.com/ZHv5h1FHLV

— Daniel First (@DanielSFirst01) June 15, 2022

Ilhan Omar’s comments also come as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders rules out a third presidential run against Joe Biden. Sanders, who gained the support of AOC and her “Squad” in the 2020 presidential election, told CNN this week that he will not challenge the president if he goes for a second term.

“I think Biden will probably run again, and if he runs again, I will support him,” Sanders said.

Given that President Biden reportedly told former President Barack Obama in April that he intends to run again in 2024, it looks as though both AOC and Sanders won’t be running any time soon.

Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.

Written By

Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive's Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.