Trump campaign aide tweets "fake" video to assail Omar

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - A senior aide to U.S. President Donald Trump's presidential campaign used a "fake" video to attack Muslim congresswoman Ilhan Omar, according to a recent report.

"650 Rockets being fired into Israel from Gaza in an attempt to overwhelm Israels Iron Dome: 173 intercepts, 4 people killed, and 28 wounded. What is @IlhanMN response to this violence? Will she condemn it?" Katrina Pierson wrote in a Twitter post accompanied by a video of multiple ground-to-ground rocket launchers unleashing salvos at an unknown target.

But the video posted Sunday is not from Gaza, nor is it from this year.

It is from Ukraine during hostilities in 2015, according to the Mediaite news website that called the video "fake."

Multiple people pointed out the error on Twitter, but Pierson has not removed the post.

In response to criticism for her use of the video, Pierson acknowledged she is not on the ground in Gaza or Israel, falsely claiming the video was used as a gif, and adding she posted it "to underscore what hundreds of rockets would look like to Americans."

"It’s not tagged nor did I say 'This is' so let’s get back to Omar’s response. Anyone have it?" she asked, apparently rhetorically.

Omar did respond, saying in a Twitter post: "Oh my, for people who are constantly complaining about fake news, they certainly have an affinity for it!"

"The trump hacks vilification ploy is getting desperate and pathetic