Vice President Mike Pence panned Rep. Ilhan Omar for picking “socialism over freedom” by blaming the US for the crisis in Venezuela.
“As Venezuelans take to the streets to stand for their freedom against an oppressive dictator, Democrat Congresswoman @IlhanMN chooses socialism over freedom,” Pence tweeted on Thursday. “The Trump Administration stands with the freedom-loving people of Venezuela.”
Pence was responding to comments the Minnesota Democrat made in an interview with Democracy Now!
“A lot of the policies that we have put in place has kind of helped lead the devastation in Venezuela and we have sort of set the stage for where we are arriving today,” she said. “This particular bullying and the use of sanctions to eventually intervene and make regime change really does not help the people of countries like Venezuela and it certainly does not help and is not in the interest of the United States.”
Omar doubled down on her comments on Thursday.
“Just as in interventions past, those who oppose war are labeled supporters of dictators and haters of ‘freedom.’ We saw this playbook in Iraq,” the freshman congresswoman tweeted. “The situation in Venezuela is dire and the Trump Admin is making it worse. We must support diplomacy, not war.”