Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib Heckle Trump at State of the Union Over Somali Minnesota Remarks
Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib turned Tuesday night's State of the Union address into one of the most volatile congressional moments of 2026 — shouting down President Trump as he called Somali community members in Minnesota "pirates" and renewed his administration's sweeping fraud investigation claims.
Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib Confront Trump at SOTU
Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib heckled President Trump at several moments during Tuesday's address, most notably after he equated Somali immigrants living in Minnesota to pirates, saying members of the Somali community had "pillaged an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayer."
Omar shot back immediately from the floor: "That's a lie, and you're a liar." Tlaib, seated directly beside Omar throughout the speech, pointed a finger gun at Trump and shouted: "You're shooting them. You're killing Americans." The two congresswomen were referring to two American citizens — Alex Pretti and Renée Good — who were killed by federal immigration agents in Minnesota during enforcement operations earlier this year.
The "Somali Pirates" Remark That Ignited the Chamber
Trump's remarks about the Minnesota Somali community triggered the most explosive exchange of the evening. The president went beyond previous statements, delivering some of his most charged language yet on the subject.
Trump declared during the joint address: "The Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception. Importing these cultures through unrestricted immigration and open borders brings us problems right here to the USA."
Trump also announced he had designated Vice President JD Vance to head up what he called the "War on Fraud," vowing that the administration is "working on it like you wouldn't believe." His $19 billion fraud figure has not been independently verified and is disputed.
Omar and Tlaib Walk Out Mid-Speech
The confrontation escalated until the two lawmakers made a decision that drew immediate attention across the chamber and on television screens nationwide.
Omar and Tlaib prematurely left the chamber while Trump was recounting the U.S. raid on Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — departing while Trump was still delivering his address. The early exit drew sharp criticism from Republican members and Trump administration officials.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said the two members "brought shame upon their party and upon themselves," adding he came close to gaveling them out of the chamber. "The antics were outrageous," Johnson said. "But the President handled it very well — and I thought, let them put that on display."
Minnesota, Somali Fraud, and the NYT Backdrop
The confrontation did not emerge in a vacuum. The Minnesota Somali fraud scandal has dominated national headlines for months, building enormous political pressure around Ilhan Omar specifically.
The New York Times has reported on the scale of the fraud, which saw federal prosecutors charge dozens of people with felonies for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from a federally funded nutrition program meant to feed children during the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the last five years, investigators say, fraud took root in pockets of Minnesota's Somali diaspora as scores of individuals billed state agencies for millions in social services that were never provided.
Of nearly 100 defendants in the three main fraud cases, prosecutors say the vast majority are of Somali descent, and roughly 66 people have been convicted. Omar, who is herself Somali American and represents the Minneapolis district at the center of the investigations, has consistently said the fraud should be prosecuted while pushing back against what she calls political targeting of an entire community.
Democrats Defy Leadership — and the Fallout Begins
The heckling stood in direct defiance of explicit guidance from House Democratic leadership, who had urged members to maintain discipline during the address.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had sternly told Democrats behind closed doors not to repeat the widespread disruptions Trump faced during his speech to a joint session last year, presenting members with two options: attend with silent defiance, or skip the speech entirely to send Trump a message. Omar and Tlaib chose neither path.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the outbursts from Omar and Tlaib "incredibly distracting," telling CNN: "Even if you don't agree with him, you should respect him enough to listen." Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi downplayed the episode, saying it was "hardly noticeable in the room." The political debate over whether the moment helped or hurt Democrats heading into the 2026 midterms has already begun.
