Ilhan Omar Shouts Back After Trump Accuses Minnesota Somalis of $19 Billion Fraud
During President Donald Trump’s record-breaking State of the Union address, ilhan omar interrupted after he accused Minnesota’s Somali community of carrying out massive fraud, touching off sharp exchanges that highlighted disagreements over immigration enforcement, fiscal claims and Democratic criticism of the speech.
Record-breaking address framed as a new "Golden Age" amid warnings and clashes
Trump delivered a record-breaking State of the Union address on Tuesday night, calling it a new American "Golden Age" while issuing sharp warnings to U. S. adversaries and clashing with Democrats in the chamber. The speech was presented as the president’s first State of the Union in his second term and came one year after he returned to office, a period in which his administration pursued sweeping policy changes at home and abroad.
Illinois Democrats seized on the remarks and the broader record of the administration: they pointed to immigration raids and mass deportations that have sparked protests and said those operations coincided with incidents in which two Americans were killed by federal agents.
Illinois Democrats label Trump a "wannabe dictator" and fault tariffs, rising costs
Illinois leaders accused Trump of misleading Americans and failing to address rising costs. Their statement said he had spent the past year "wreaking havoc on American communities, " "spewed lies, " and attempted to "gaslight the American people. " They criticized what they called "two hours of baseless claims, shameless propaganda, and the ramblings of a wannabe dictator outlining his plans to steal American elections, " and pledged to hold the administration accountable.
Illinois Democrats also singled out tariffs, saying the president "bragged about his illegal tariffs that have further increased the cost of living for Illinoisans" and offered no concrete plans to lower the cost of health care, childcare, housing or groceries. They noted that Trump "did, however, find time to promise more tax breaks for the wealthy, " adding that "if grandstanding paid for groceries, the President would have ridden to the American peoples’ rescue tonight. " The statement warned that "in America’s 250th year, our democracy is facing a serious test" and called for Democrats to fight to bring down costs, end chaos and fight corruption.
One Illinois response went further, saying: "Tonight, President Trump did what he does best: he lied to the American people. " That statement accused the president of bringing the country "to the precipice of another war in the Middle East, " of enriching himself and his family while claiming to end government waste, and of touting immigration accomplishments while agents shot U. S. citizens in the streets, "including my guest Marimar Martinez. " The statement called for accountability and structural change and said, "Democrats must answer this call with a bold agenda, not half-measures. " It concluded with "And we must reinvest the" (unclear in the provided context).
Ilhan Omar responds as Trump singles out Minnesota’s Somali community
Trump zoomed in on Minnesota’s Somali community during the speech, saying that "pirates" in the community had "ransacked Minnesota" and citing an unproven claim that members had carried out $19 billion in fraud. That $19 billion figure drew an immediate rebuke from Somali American Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who shouted that he was a "liar. " Omar also yelled, "That’s a lie... you’re lying, " directly responding to the president’s characterization.
Prosecutors have put estimates of stolen funds at roughly $9 billion and say the totals stem from decades of poor oversight, while one local analysis has found that alleged fraud uncovered so far in some state programs is closer to $200 million.
Seating, demonstrations and reactions from Minnesota’s delegation
All but one of Minnesota’s six congressional Democrats attended the State of the Union; all four of Minnesota’s congressional Republicans were present. 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 applaud. Sen. Tina Smith did not attend and instead spoke at a counter-rally on the National Mall. The five Democrats stood to cheer when the Olympic men’s hockey team entered the House chamber.
In response to at least one of the president’s remarks, Omar yelled out: "You have killed Americans, " alluding to federal agents fatally shooting Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Operation Metro Surge, immigration enforcement and the Democratic rebuttal
Trump’s State of the Union came just over a week after the administration announced an end to Operation Metro Surge, which federal authorities said began in response to the fraud crisis in the state. The president reiterated immigration themes during his address, saying "the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens, " and calling on lawmakers to "end deadly sanctuary cities that protect the criminals and enact serious penalties for public officials who block the removal of criminal aliens. " He also said Vice President JD Vance would lead the administration’s "war on fraud. "
The administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota has been described as widely unpopular in recent polling, and Democratic lawmakers remained skeptical about its wind-down. While Trump did not specifically call out the enforcement operation in Minnesota during the speech, the Democratic rebuttal was more explicit: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger referenced the Department of Homeland Security’s surge in the state and 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 that agents "have ripped nursing mothers away from their babies. They have sent children, a little boy in a blue bunny hat … to far-off detent" (unclear in the provided context).
