Transcript: Rep. Ilhan Omar on

The following is the transcript of an interview with Rep. Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Feb. 9, 2025.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re joined now by Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. Good to have you here. You have spoken quite a bit this week about what USAID meant in your life, particularly when you were living in a refugee camp for four years, and USAID you talked about helping to keep you alive. We know this week, a federal judge will come to some kind of hearing and decision, perhaps, on what happens to all those government workers. Are the courts the main line of defense here?

MINNESOTA REP. ILHAN OMAR: Yeah. I mean, what we are witnessing is a constitutional crisis. We are seeing an executive branch that has decided that they are no longer going to abide by the Constitution in honoring Congress’ role in the creation of the agencies in their role in deciding where money is allocated, and so the only recourse we have since our congressional leadership, the speaker will not stop the executive is through the judiciary. And this is you know, when you think about the checks and balances that we have, the courts are the only recourse we have at the moment, and we have seen and when we talk about the illegality of what the executive is doing, we have seen every single executive order that has been challenged in the courts was found to be illegal. And that, I think, should give faith to the American people, that our courts are working as they should. The checks and balances are working. What is not working is the way that the executive is behaving and the congressional leadership that is failing the American people. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, some of these court cases are ongoing, so we’ll have to see where- where they end up–

REP. OMAR: But, the ones that have already been adjudicated. Every single executive order has been halted at the moment by an order.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Many of them Republican judges who have also made that decision–

REP. OMAR: Yes. Trump-appointed judges. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: It was interesting to hear Congressman McCaul indicate that when it came to breaking up an agency that was enshrined in law, that maybe there is some resistance there. Senator Hagerty, however, thought that Congress would be supportive of dismantling USAID after I read that- that description of the statute. It seems, though, that- that Democrats don’t have a lot of leverage here to push this argument forward in Congress. Do you think you do?

REP. OMAR: Well, they don’t have the numbers in order to dismantle through Congress. That’s why they are going through this illegal- that’s why they’re going through this illegal route. We know that USAID has support, not just with Democrats, but with Republicans. I can’t see McCaul taking a vote to dismantle USAID, you know so- so we know that the votes are not there to dismantle the Department of Education. We know that the votes are not there to grant security clearances for them accessing treasury and so every single process that they are going through in implementing Trump’s agenda is, at the moment, illegal, and they know they don’t have the support for it in Congress. That’s why they’re not bringing it through Congress.

MARGARET BRENNAN: It’s interesting that the first place to focus is such a small portion of federal spending to look at- at- at aid, but when you look at the popularity, Secretary Rubio was right in saying that it’s getting harder to defend foreign aid because it’s not popular. We saw the Chicago Council on Global Affairs surveyed American opinions on foreign policy, and they found a growing number want to reduce economic and military aid to other countries. So how do you convince the public that your point of view is the right one? Because it sounds like they’re sliding the other way. 

REP. OMAR: Well, foreign aid, I think, throughout the history of our country, has not been popular with the American people because we don’t have that many conversations about what it does, how much of it, it accounts for in our budget. A lot of people hear the millions, billions, and they don’t fully have a concept of what that actually means, the lives it touches, and how important it is, both the soft power that we have as a country, how it keeps us competitive around the world, how it buys us goodwill. We can have the conversation, but when you just say foreign aid to a lot of people, they’re thinking that we’re sending bombs to other countries, which people like me and others oppose. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: Right, an allegation we heard earlier in the program. I want to ask you about something President Trump said this week alongside the Israeli Prime Minister. It took many by surprise. Take a listen.

DONALD TRUMP: The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The president said Palestinians would be permanently removed. How do you think this is heard and understood around the world? 

REP. OMAR: Well, that’s just plain out ethnic cleansing and genocide. That’s what he’s talking about. The Palestinian people will remain in Gaza, and there is no support around the world for the ludicrous suggestion that he is making– 

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, he’s saying, give him a choice to leave open the gate.

REP. OMAR: Yeah, I’m pretty sure most of the people in Gaza would love to remain in their homeland and be where they were born.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Congresswoman, we have to leave it there for today, but I appreciate you–

REP. OMAR: Thank you

MARGARET BRENNAN: –coming in. We’ll be right back with a lot more. Face the Nation. Stay with us.