Rep Byron Donalds (R-FL) blasted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) for crying fake tears in a speech defending Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) ahead of a vote to remove her from a committee.

Omar was voted out of her role on the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday.

Byron Donalds accuses AOC of crying 'fake tears' during speech defending Ilhan Omar https://t.co/FFI3dIkNz4

— MSN (@MSN) February 5, 2023

The comments

"She was in rare form yesterday. She was saying how there was a member of the House who threatened her life and got put on committees. Well, she's talking about Paul Gosar," Donalds said in a radio interview.

"But during the speaker's debate, a month ago, she caught on 'Bad Lip Reading' having a full-throated conversation with Paul Gosar," he added.

They don't always discuss politics#aoc #118thCongress pic.twitter.com/XkXHGf0C5s

— Bad Lip Reading (@BadLipReading) January 5, 2023

AOC's meltdown

Ocasio-Cortez blamed Omar's situation on the targeting of women of color by Republican leaders ahead of the vote.

"Don’t tell me this is about consistency! Don’t tell me that this is about a condemnation of antisemitic remarks when you have a member of the Republican caucus who has talked about Jewish space lasers and an entire amount of tropes, and also elevated her to some of the highest committee assignments in this body!" she said.

"This is about targeting women of color in the United States of America! Don’t tell me, because I didn’t get a single apology when my life was threatened!"

Wow AOC doesn’t hold back here pic.twitter.com/GxHNtaKkaJ

— Acyn (@Acyn) February 2, 2023

Fellow Squad member Rep. Rashida Tlaib also came to the aid of Omar, apologizing to her on Thursday following the vote that removed her from the committee over her antisemitic and anti-American statement.

"Where are the free speech warriors today? The hypocrisy is obvious to the American people. You are showing who you all are, really. I know Congresswoman Omar will not be silenced," Tlaib stated.

"To Congressman Omar, I am so sorry, sis, that our country is failing you today in this chamber. You belong on that committee," she added.

The vote ended 218 to 211 along party lines under the new Republican majority in the House. In addition to Omar's removal, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) removed Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) from the House Intelligence Committee following concerns about them leaking information while members of the group.