Ilhan Omar hits back at Trump, condemns his ‘hateful rhetoric’
WASHINGTON, Jan 21 — U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar on Tuesday condemned President Donald Trump’s remarks about her and Minnesota’s Somali American community, calling his language “hateful” and a deliberate attempt to divert attention from what she described as failures by his administration.
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Omar, a Democrat who represents a Minneapolis-area district and was born in Somalia, said Trump’s rhetoric amounted to “hatred, xenophobia and Islamophobia,” and accused him of stoking division rather than addressing policy challenges facing the country.
Speaking in a television interview, Omar called the president’s language “completely disgusting,” arguing that it unfairly targets an entire community. “These are Americans,” she said, warning that dehumanizing language can fuel hostility and violence.
Her comments followed a new round of Trump statements that included derogatory descriptions of Somalis and renewed calls for tougher immigration enforcement, remarks that drew criticism from Democrats and some civil rights groups. The exchange added fresh urgency to long-running political disputes over immigration, identity and national belonging as the 2026 U.S. election cycle approaches.
Omar rejected broad claims linking Somali Americans to fraud cases in Minnesota, saying that wrongdoing should be assessed and prosecuted on an individual basis, not used to stigmatize an entire population. She emphasized that Somali Americans are taxpayers and contributors to the state’s economy, arguing that blanket accusations damage public trust and community safety.
In a separate statement, Omar said the president was relying on “false and inflammatory rhetoric” to paper over shortcomings in his own record rather than engaging on policy. She added that Minnesota’s Somali community remains resilient and would not be intimidated by unfounded accusations.
The dispute highlights the entrenched divides over race, religion and immigration that have repeatedly surfaced in national politics. Trump’s latest remarks echo themes he has used before — portraying certain immigrant groups as suspect and pushing for hardened enforcement — while critics say such messaging paints entire communities with a broad brush and invites harassment.
Supporters of Omar argue that collective smears distract from legitimate governance concerns and undermine the rule of law by supplanting individual accountability with group blame. Her allies say that rhetoric linking specific communities to crime or fraud often outpaces any evidence and erodes confidence in institutions designed to evaluate cases based on facts.
Omar, one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, has long been a target of political attacks and says the intensity of the rhetoric has real-world consequences, particularly for immigrants and religious minorities. She and other Democrats have pressed for a policy debate grounded in data and due process rather than innuendo and generalized suspicion.
While the president’s allies continue to back stricter immigration measures, civil rights organizations and immigrant advocates warn that sweeping claims can foster discrimination and make it harder for communities to work with law enforcement, access public services or feel safe in civic life.
For now, Omar’s rebuttal signals that Democratic leaders intend to confront incendiary language head-on, framing the clash as a choice between scapegoating and solutions. “These are Americans,” she said, reiterating that Somali Minnesotans’ civic participation and economic contributions should be recognized, not maligned.
As both parties sharpen their messages ahead of 2026, the dispute underscores a central question for voters: whether immigration and identity will be debated with precision and fairness, or through broad labels that leave millions feeling targeted.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
