Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar is facing intense backlash after a viral video showed her discussing a college course she took on terrorism.
The Wall Street Apes X account shared a video on Tuesday night of a resurfaced interview featuring Omar speaking with an off-screen interviewer. Omar, who was born in Somalia but moved to the United States as a teenager, laughed as she recalled her time at North Dakota State University.
“When I was in college, I took a terrorism class,” Omar said, smiling. The interviewer, appearing surprised, then asked if such a course truly existed. Omar responded affirmatively, and the interviewer questioned whether the class had a “lab” component or if the students went on a field trip.
Omar explained that the class focused on the ideology of terrorist groups, specifically naming Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah. A longer segment of the original interview — which reportedly took place in 2013 — is available on YouTube, and the interviewer calls the professor an “expert.” The way that the X clip is edited creates the impression that he is calling Omar the “expert.”
Minnesota Rep Ilhan Omar “When I was in college, I took a terrorism class”
Read that again. pic.twitter.com/DUhjKaefVg
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) March 2, 2026
The 43-year-old Omar obtained her bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies in 2011. While NDSU’s online archives only go back to the 2014-15 academic year, the university currently offers a three-credit political science course titled “Terrorism.” The course description says the class focuses on the “historical perspectives; terrorist motivations, organizations, tactics, strategies; role of media; government responses; future trends, [and] prospects.”
The video quickly gained traction, with the original post drawing nearly 250,000 views in 14 hours. Libs of TikTok shared the clip on Tuesday night, and it had reached another 150,000 views by publication. Numerous responses featured users calling for Omar’s deportation, following President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion that Omar and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib should be “sent back.” Omar became a U.S. citizen in 2000, and Tlaib was born in Detroit.
“What does that mean?” asked longtime Minnesota radio host Bob Sansevere. “She wanted to be able to combat terrorism or learn to take part in it?”
Some demanded the FBI investigate Omar, who had not addressed the video as of publication.
Why is this person in Congress?
Better question: Why is this person in America? https://t.co/zjRcsYvWUg
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) March 3, 2026
“Look at her smiling with pride during this conversation,” conservative content creator Angela Rose remarked. “Compare that to her face when she talks about America!”
Others, including Libs of TikTok, referred to Omar as a “Somali pirate” in their X posts. Omar has fiercely defended the Somali community as federal prosecutors continue to investigate massive fraud in Minnesota. To date, nearly 100 individuals have been charged in connection with schemes involving child care, food, and autism programs.
Most defendants are of Somali descent, and roughly 60 individuals had been convicted through January. Trump claimed during last week’s State of the Union address that an estimated $19 billion was stolen via fraud.
“She is not trying to hide who she is and where her ideology lies,” read one X post. “She needs to be removed and deported before she causes further harm to our country.”
