Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota did not remain silent while Trump made derogatory comments about Somali immigrants. He targeted the Somali community during the State of the Union address. The president continued with remarks in which he made a series of comments belittling immigrants from the community.
As Trump announced “a war on fraud,” he directed his criticism toward Somali immigrants. He said that Minnesota, where Somali immigrants make up a significant population, surpasses all other states when it comes to corruption.
“When it comes to the corruption that is plundering America, there has been no more stunning example than Minnesota.” He added, “Members of the Somali community have pillaged an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayer.”
Donald Trump: “You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
Ilhan Omar: “You have killed Americans! You should be ashamed!”
Ilhan is right. Alex Pretti, Renee Good, and Keith Porter are no longer with us because they were murdered by Trump’s ICE agents. pic.twitter.com/WxuBEG0iDj
— Power to the People ☭🕊 (@ProudSocialist) February 25, 2026
He did not stop there. He continued, saying that in countries like Somalia, corruption is “not the exception” and referred to members of the community as “pirates.” “The Somali pirates who ransack Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption, and lawlessness are the norm,” he said.
He went on to say that inviting such people through unrestricted immigration and open borders into the country would be a big mistake. “Importing these cultures brings those problems right here to the USA.”
His remarks prompted a reaction from Omar, who shouted over him, calling him a liar. Omar, who is of Somali descent, said she could not believe the president would make such comments. This is not the first time the Trump administration has criticized the Somali community. The criticism appears to stem from a pandemic-era case in which several individuals were accused of stealing $1 billion from a government-run nutrition program.
“Operation Metro Surge” has devastated our communities. Families have been ripped apart, children are too scared to go to school, parishioners are too scared to go to church.
We’re fighting to hold Kristi Noem and DHS accountable—that starts with abolishing ICE. pic.twitter.com/vM1CuphHLp
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) February 23, 2026
Trump asked lawmakers to show their support. He stated that it’s his administration’s duty to protect Americans and not the “illegal aliens.” While Trump’s speech received a standing ovation from Republicans, there were some voices trying to make their contempt known. POTUS attempted to speak louder. He fumed, “You should be ashamed of yourselves,” possibly trying to disarm his haters.
Trump asked for support “to end deadly sanctuary cities that protect the criminals.” Omar joined Rep. Rashida Tlaib in hollering, “You have killed Americans, you should be ashamed,” in response to Trump’s toxic commentary.
Republicans are now asking for her removal from Congress. Rep. AI Green of Texan was seen being escorted out as he was wearing a sign that read “BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES,” in response to Trump recently posting an AI-generated video where he depicted the Obamas as apes.
