US Representative Ilhan Omar has described former President Donald Trump's relentless targeting of her as a "really unhealthy and creepy obsession," linking his rhetoric directly to a dangerous surge in death threats and a climate of political violence.
A Zen-like Calm Amidst a Storm of Threats
In her Washington DC office, accompanied by her husband Tim Mynett and their lively Labrador, Teddy, the Minnesota Democrat displayed a remarkable calm. This composure persists despite her receiving the highest level of death threats of any member of Congress, a situation she attributes directly to the verbal attacks from Trump.
Speaking to The Guardian on 12 December 2025, Omar, 43, addressed Trump's recent comments at a Pennsylvania rally where he mocked her hijab and revived the long-debunked claim that she married her brother to gain citizenship. "They're vile," she stated, firmly asserting her legal status as a refugee who arrived aged 12 and became a citizen at 17.
"He likes to deflect when things aren't going well for him," Omar said, characterising Trump's xenophobia as a default tactic to distract from policy failures, such as the unresolved cost-of-living crisis.
The Tangible Cost of Dehumanising Rhetoric
The consequences of this rhetoric are far from abstract. Omar's husband, Tim Mynett, revealed that during Trump's first term, the threats became so severe that the US government mandated a full six-person security detail for the congresswoman after identifying a specific plot against her life.
Official statistics underscore the escalating danger. In 2024, the US Capitol Police investigated 9,474 concerning statements and direct threats against members of Congress, more than double the 3,939 cases in 2017. Omar noted a direct correlation: "Now, in the four years when [Joe] Biden was president, my death threats went to almost zero. Now they are back up."
The personal toll is profound. Omar spoke of the murder of her friend, former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, and the constant fear that threats against her could be acted upon against someone who merely resembles her. "I also worry about those people finding someone who looks like me in Minneapolis or across the country and thinking it is me and harming them," she said.
Scapegoating a Community and Undermining Democracy
Trump's attacks have broadened to target Omar's entire community. He recently labelled Minnesota Somalis as "garbage" and linked an immigration crackdown to fraud cases involving some individuals of Somali origin. Omar fiercely rejected this scapegoating, pointing out that the vast majority of the 260,000 Somalis in the US are citizens, with almost 58% born in the country.
She described alarming ICE enforcement actions in Minnesota, including people being "slammed to the ground, handcuffed, detained for hours" and even tear-gassed. "We have dealt with authoritarianism, we have dealt with dictatorship, and so we are vigilant," Omar said, praising her community's resilience.
Reflecting on the international perception of Trump's presidency, Omar called him "a national embarrassment" and "an international embarrassment" whose actions denigrate America's global standing. She warned that while democracy will survive, it will be "in a very fragile way," exposed to the weaknesses a "dictatorship-like ruler" can exploit.
Despite the onslaught, Omar remains focused on her congressional duties, fighting for healthcare, climate action, and against draconian immigration policies. Her husband, Mynett, admiring her grace under pressure, concluded: "She knows why she's here and she'll never be deterred by somebody doing racist, bigoted things towards her."
