Latest: Trump calls Somali community ‘pirates,’ prompting shouts from Rep. Ilhan Omar in latest State of the Union address
In the latest State of the Union address, President Donald Trump zoomed in on Minnesota’s Somali community, calling them “pirates” who have “ransacked Minnesota” and repeating an unproven claim that members carried out $19 billion in fraud. The remark drew a sharp rebuke from Somali American Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who shouted that he was a “liar. ”
Latest administration moves and fallout
Trump said Vice President JD Vance would lead the administration’s “war on fraud. ” The president’s speech comes just over a week since the administration announced an end to Operation Metro Surge, which federal authorities said began in response to the fraud crisis in the state. Trump’s immigration crackdown on Minnesota was widely unpopular in recent polling, and Democratic lawmakers have remained skeptical about its wind-down.
Trump’s attack on Somali Minnesotans
During his Tuesday night remarks, Trump said, “When it comes to the corruption that is... plundering America, there has been no more stunning example than Minnesota — where members of the Somali community have pillaged an estimated $19 billion dollars from the American taxpayer. ” He also called Somali Minnesotans “pirates who ransacked Minnesota” and said they reminded the country that “there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception. ”
Numbers and disputed estimates
Prosecutors say stolen funds, which they say was the result of decades of poor oversight, could total $9 billion, though alleged fraud uncovered so far in some state programs is closer to $200 million. The $19 billion figure cited by the president in his speech is an unproven claim that prompted vocal pushback on the House floor.
Omar’s rebukes and reactions
Omar directly challenged the president on the House floor. When Trump cited the $19 billion claim, she yelled, “That’s a lie... you’re lying. ” In response to another of his remarks, Omar later yelled out: “You have killed Americans, ” alluding to federal agents fatally shooting Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Attendance, hockey and chamber moments
All but one of Minnesota’s six congressional Democrats attended Trump’s State of the Union. All four of Minnesota’s congressional Republicans attended. Omar, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Reps. Angie Craig, Kelly Morrison and Betty McCollum remained seated for most of Trump’s speech as Republicans stood to cheer his remarks. Sen. Tina Smith did not attend and instead spoke at a counter-rally on the National Mall. The five Democrats did make an exception to stand and cheer when the Olympic men’s hockey team entered the House chamber.
Democratic rebuttal and DHS surge
While the president’s speech did not specifically call out the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, in the Democratic rebuttal Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger more directly referenced the U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s surge in the state. Spanberger said, “Our president has sent poorly trained federal agents into our cities where they have arrested and detained American citizens and people who aspire to be Americans and they have done it without a warrant. ” She added, “They have ripped nursing mothers away from their babies. They have sent children, a little boy in a blue bunny hat … to f
Nearly all Somalis in Minnesota are citizens or legal residents, a detail lawmakers and advocates cited in reaction to the president’s remarks. The contested figures, the End of Operation Metro Surge announcement, high-profile deaths linked to federal agents, and vocal exchanges on the House floor all combined to make the latest State of the Union a flashpoint for debate over fraud claims and immigration enforcement.
