Fox News 'strongly' condemns host Jeanine Pirro's scripted comments on Rep. Ilhan Omar

On her Fox News show Saturday night, Jeanine Pirro began with an opening statement criticizing Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) but mostly lecturing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — or "Nancy" — for not specifically condemning Omar in a House resolution against anti-Semitism and other forms of hate.

Omar, one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, has been criticized for her statements about Israel and pro-Israel lawmakers. Pirro, after several minutes laying out her case that criticism of Israel is un-American, suggested Saturday that Omar is motivated by loyalty to Islam over the U.S. Constitution. "Think about it," she said. "Omar wears a hijab, which according to the Quran 33:59, tells women to cover so they won't get molested. Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to Sharia law, which in itself is antithetical to the United States Constitution?"

On Sunday night, after a day of criticism directed toward Pirro — including from within Fox News — Fox News called foul, saying "we strongly condemn Jeanine Pirro's comments" about Omar, which "do not reflect those of the network." Pirro did not apologize, insisting she "did not call Rep. Omar un-American" and only wanted to "start a debate."

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Republicans have been eager to focus on Omar and the divisions her comments have exposed among Democrats, especially after recent controversies involving Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and of course, President Trump. If splitting the left was Pirro's intention, it doesn't appear to have been successful.