Rep. Ilhan Omar accuses MSNBC host Joy Reid of Islamophobia

MSNBC host Joy Reid has been accused of Islamophobia after comparing President Donald Trump’s supporters to ‘the way Muslims act’ on her program.

Reid’s comments came on Monday during her new 7pm show, ReidOut, as she discussed the murder charges against Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha and political violence in Portland.

‘When leaders, let’s say in the Muslim world, talk a lot of violent talk and encourage their supporters to be willing to commit violence including on their own bodies in order to win against whoever they decide is the enemy, we in the U.S. media describe that as they are ‘radicalizing’ these people, particularly when they’re radicalizing young people,’ Reid said.

‘That’s how we talk about the way Muslims act,’ she added. ‘When you see what Donald Trump is doing, is that any different from what we describe as radicalizing people?’ 

Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, led the criticism against Reid, saying in a tweet: ‘Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous.’ 

‘We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming,’ Omar added.

A spokesperson for Reid did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com. Reid did not address the controversy on her show on Tuesday night.

Reid’s remarks drew swift backlash. Zakir Khan, board chair of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Oregon, said in a tweet that the comments were ‘so unbelievably Islamophobic it’s ridiculous.’

Khan asked whether Reid planned to apologize for the way she ‘stereotype[d] an entire group of Muslims.’

In her remarks, Reid referred to Trump liking a tweet praising Rittenhouse, who is charged with murder after fatally shooting two people during a violent confrontation in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Trump went further at a press conference on Monday, telling DailyMail.com that the 17-year-old Rittenhouse ‘probably would have been killed’ if he had not opened fire.

Rittenhouse’s attorney has said that the teen clearly acted in self-defense while he was being attacked by a violent mob.

Reid also referenced a video of a Trump supporter appearing to fire a paintball gun at Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon on Friday. 

Later the same day, a Trump supporter in Portland was fatally shot in the back of the head in an apparent act of political violence. Police are reportedly investigating a self-confessed member of Antifa for the killing.

Reid, 51, in July took over MSNBC’s 7pm time slot from ‘Hardball with Chris Matthews’ after the host was forced to resign in March over allegations of sexist workplace behavior and several on-air missteps.  

After MSNBC touted Reid’s ratings for the first week of her show, which launched on July 20, the show’s viewership has dropped off precipitously, according to Nielsen data reviewed by DailyMail.com. 

For the week ending August 28, Reid was down in 16 percent in total viewers and 7 percent in the prized 25-54 age demographic, compared to her launch week. 

Monday’s remarks were not the first time Reid has come under criticism for alleged anti-Muslim comments.

In 2018, anti-gay remarks were found on her old blog from posts in 2006, which she blamed on hackers at the time.

Other 2006 blog posts then came to light, including one that stated ‘current iterations of Islam are largely incompatible with Western notions of free speech and expression, and thus, I’d say, with the Bushian dream of Western style democracy for all.’