Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has launched a powerful defence of her community, accusing former President Donald Trump of resorting to racist rhetoric because he "knows he is failing" politically.
A Pattern of Bigotry from the White House
The Democratic representative for Minnesota issued her rebuke in a personal essay for the New York Times. It came in direct response to a series of tirades from Trump, who earlier this week dismissed Somali Americans as "garbage" and claimed, using an inaccurate term, that "Somalians should be out of here."
During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the former president escalated his attacks, stating that Omar, a naturalised US citizen, "should be thrown the hell out of our country." Omar, who arrived in Congress in 2019 as one of the first two Muslim women elected, has been a frequent target for Trump and Republicans throughout her tenure.
Omar's Defence of a Resilient Community
In her essay, Omar connected Trump's latest outburst to a long history of what she called "dehumanizing and dangerous attacks" on minority immigrants. She pointed to his past comments about "shithole" countries, his false claims about Haitian migrants, and his initial campaign promise to ban Muslim immigration.
"The president knows he is failing, and so he is reverting to what he knows best: trying to divert attention by stoking bigotry," Omar wrote. She argued that this animosity is resurgent due to a failed domestic policy agenda and unfulfilled economic promises.
Notably, Omar highlighted that some of her Somali constituents had voted for Trump, underscoring the complexity within the community he now vilifies. "He fails to realize how deeply Somali Americans love this country," she asserted.
Consequences and Unwavering Resilience
Beyond the political sparring, the 43-year-old congresswoman expressed profound concern for the real-world impact of such rhetoric from a former president. "What keeps me up at night is that people who share the identities I hold – Black, Somali, hijabi, immigrant – will suffer the consequences of his words," she confessed.
Omar, who is part of the progressive group in Congress known as "the Squad," also faces direct political repercussions. In 2023, the Republican majority in the House stripped her of her seat on the foreign affairs committee for comments critical of Israel.
Despite the onslaught, her essay concluded with a message of defiance and pride in her state's values: "We are not afraid. After all, Minnesotans not only welcome refugees, they also sent one to Congress."
