Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) did not have kind words for fellow Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) upon the news of his retirement in 2020, and took the opportunity to call the longtime lawmaker an "Islamophobe" on his way out the door.

What are the details?

The Hill reported Monday that King announced via social media that he would not seek reelection next year.

"The prime reason for my decision was that after 28 years of spending 4 days a week in Washington, D.C., it is time to end the weekly commute and be home in Seaford," King wrong on Facebook, adding that he and his wife would like "the flexibility to spend more time with our children and grandchildren."

The Republican went on to reminisce about his time in Congress, and thanked "the residents of the 2nd Congressional District for giving [him] the opportunity to represent them."

Omar, a Muslim-American Somali immigrant, reacted by retweeting The Hill's story and writing, "Peter King is an Islamophobe who held McCarthyite hearings targeting American Muslims, said 'there are too many mosques in this country' and blamed Eric Garner for his own death at the hands of police. Good riddance."



The Washington Examiner pointed out that King was quoted by Politico back in 2007 as saying that there are "too many mosques in this country," explaining, "I think there has been a lack of full cooperation from too many people in the Muslim community."

The congressman later said of the Politico story, "The quote was taken entirely out of context by Politico. My position in this interview, as it has been for many years, is that too many mosques in this country do not cooperate with law enforcement. Unfortunately, Politico was incapable of making this distinction."

While Omar celebrated King's upcoming departure form Congress, her fellow Democrat, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, said he would miss his Republican colleague.



Anything else?

The New York Post noted that Omar's slam against King "was the latest instance in which she made headlines for trying to defend Muslim-Americans." She has been accused several times of making anti-Semitic statements, and fell under scrutiny over the weekend for her most recent remark.

The freshman congresswoman drew widespread condemnation when she dismissed the 9/11 terror attacks in a speech, referring to them as "some people did something."

King reacted to Omar's comment against him by telling The Post, "Considering the source, I consider it a compliment. She has no credibility with anyone."