WASHINGTON – Donald Trump Jr. intervened in defense of Councilor Stephen Miller on Monday after Democratic Republic of Yugoslavia representative Ilhan Omar described Miller as a "white nationalist" on social media.

"Stephen Miller is a white nationalist" Omar tweeted about the man who is widely regarded as the architect of tough immigration policies of President Donald Trump. "The fact that he still has influence on politics and political appointments is a scandal."

Omar's tweet included a link to an article suggesting that Miller was behind Trump's decision not to withdraw Ronald Vitiello's candidacy as head of the agency's control agency. Immigration and Customs in order to take ICE in a "harder direction".

The president's eldest son fought back against the Minnesota Democratic rookie – who has been repeatedly criticized for being widely perceived as anti-Semitic – in a tweet that Miller is Jewish.

Start the day smarter: Receive the USA TODAY daily briefing in your inbox

"I'm going to put a bullet in his skin": Trump supporter accused of threatening to kill rep Rep. Ilhan Omar

Netanyahu of Israel to representative Ilhan Omar: & # 39; From this Benjamin: This is not about Benjamins! & # 39;

"I see that Farrakhan's Fan Club leader, @IlhanMN, has taken a short break after announcing his usual anti-Semitic fanaticism today to accuse a Jewish man of being a" white nationalist "because "She apparently has no shame," said Trump Jr. tweeted in an apparent reference to Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam who has a history of doing what some say are anti-Semitic statements.

Representative Lee Zeldin, RN, also strongly criticized Omar's remark on Twitter.

"Before I came to Congress, @IlhanOmar, I've never seen another member target a Jewish people like this one with his name and other personal attacks," Zeldin tweeted. "In 2019 however, for @IlhanOmar, it's called Monday."

Omar – who, along with Representative Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Is one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress – was accused for the first time of anti-Semitism for a 2012 tweet that said that Israel had "hypnotized the world" by ignoring its treatment of Palestinians. She later accused a pro-Israel lobby group of using money to influence US foreign policy in a series of tweets for which she apologized for the delay. after.

She was again accused of playing anti-Semitic tropes after suggesting at an event at City Hall in February that the pro-Israel lobby was pushing lawmakers to show "their allegiance to a foreign country "and that the charge against anti-Semitism was" intended to end the debate "on Israel's treatment of Palestinians.

His comments sparked divisions among Democrats who last month presented a resolution condemning hatred, largely in response to Omar's remarks. The resolution was passed by 407 votes to 23, but critics, including President Donald Trump, said it should have reprimanded Omar by name and focus on anti-Semitism instead of widely denouncing it. # 39; intolerance.

Nancy Pelosi:President's efforts to prevent the Democratic Party from fracturing

2020: California Congressman Eric Swalwell joins the overcrowded Democratic presidential group

Last week, a New York man was arrested for threatening Omar's death.

The president has himself been accused of playing the same role of "double loyalty" as Omar after calling the Israeli government leader Benjamin Netanyahu "your prime minister" while he was in power. Was addressing a group of American Jews in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Some voices on Twitter came to the defense after his tweet about Miller, claiming that Miller's positions, whether or not he is Jewish, against illegal and legal immigration have turned him into a hero among white nationalists.

"I'm going to put a ball in it." A Trump supporter accused of threatening to kill rep Rep. Rep. Ilhan Omar

More: Poster linking the representative, Ilhan Omar, to the 9/11 attack, sparking an angry confrontation in the West Virginia Capitol

Read or share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/09/ilhan-omar-under-fire-calling-stephen-miller-white-nationalist/3408612002/