Republicans Fear 'Civil War' in Wake of Ilhan Omar Scandal, Voice Concerns About 2022 Midterms

US Congress has recently seen a drama that's being dubbed by many "The Mean Girls of Congress." It all began when GOP's Lauren Boebert allegedly joked about Muslim Democrat Ilhan Omar being a "suicide bomber," before Rep. Nancy Mace blasted the joke – only for her fellow GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene to lash out at her and side with Boebert.

The ongoing bipartisan squabble between congressional lawmakers that involves three Republicans has fueled concerns in the GOP about how it might affect the upcoming 2022 midterm elections.

Representatives Marjorie Taylor-Greene, Nancy Mace, and Lauren Boebert are at odds over the latter's spat with their Democratic colleague Ilhan Omar. The conflict has already drawn the attention of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who called on his fellow Republicans to "stop it."

How it Started

Boebert, who is accused of spewing some offensive stereotypical jokes about Omar, has drawn bipartisan condemnation.

According to the Republican lawmaker, she and Omar happened to be in an elevator that experienced a fault – a concerned Capitol police officer then appeared and Boebert called Omar "the jihad squad."

"She doesn't have a backpack, she wasn't dropping it and running so we're good," Boebert said then, according to her own view of what happened (Omar has said that the story was made up).

After facing a backlash over the story, Boebert said she reflected on her remarks and called Omar to apologise. The Democrat, however, hung up on her.

Among those who criticised her "suicide bomber" joke is Mace, but her siding with Omar did not sit well with another "loud voice" of the GOP party – Marjorie Taylor-Greene.

The latter lashed out at Mace on Twitter, calling her "trash" and prompting a response. And the drama shows no signs of coming to an end.

How it is Going

With the 2022 midterms are looming, the Grand Old Party has weathered several scandals after some of its members have sparked controversy with their remarks or, for example, certain video edits deemed by some as threatening. It was Representative Paul Gosar who tweeted the edit of an "Attack on Titan" anime clip that pictured Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden as "titans" who were slashed by main characters.

Censured by House Democrats, Gosar nevertheless avoided serious criticism from McCarthy. Now, the House Minority Leader faces concerns from some Republicans who view Marjorie Taylor-Greene as "poisonous" to the party, according to CNN.

"If Kevin McCarthy does not get Marjorie Taylor Greene in line somewhat, either through the conference disciplining her or privately, it is going to undermine our efforts," the lawmaker said. "And this is where leadership can step up. And I think if he doesn't, you're going to have a bit more of a civil war on your hands."

During a news conference on Tuesday, Omar played some of the voicemails containing death threats that she has been receiving lately. The recordings particularly included threats to “take you off the face of this f***ing Earth" and phrases like "You will not be living much longer, b***h."

“It is time for the Republican party to actually do something to confront anti-Muslim hatred in its ranks and hold those who perpetrate it accountable," Omar said.

When McCarthy was asked on Tuesday whether he would support censuring Boebert over her comments – as the Democrats did with Representative Gosar – he said that he would vote against it, given that Boebert "apologised personally and publicly."