Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has recently faced backlash for allegedly claiming she is “here to protect the interests of Somalia” during footage from a recent speech in which she spoke in Somali. Conservatives have blasted Omar for seemingly prioritizing the interests of a foreign nation instead of the United States, which she was elected to serve.
Reportedly, Omar gave the speech to a group of her Somali-American constituents, reacting to a supposed move by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to assist a region/province in Somalia in becoming a sovereign state. However, there has been some debate online about the accuracy of the translations of her speech.
According to one translation of her remarks, Omar encouraged her constituents to “sleep in comfort” knowing that she would “protect the interests of Somalia from inside the US system.” Such comments have sparked concerns that Omar views herself as Somalian first, putting the African nation first over the interests of American citizens.
Omar’s comments have sparked significant backlash among Republicans, where many have called for her to resign. For example, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) wrote on X, “Ilhan Omar’s appalling, Somalia-first comments are a slap in the face to the Minnesotans she was elected to serve and a direct violation of her oath of office. She should resign in disgrace.”
Similarly, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) also sounded off on Omar’s rhetoric. “Terrorist sympathizer Ilhan Omar in her own words: Somalian first. Muslim second. She never mentions America,” MTG said.“She flaunts using her position as congresswoman to protect Somalia’s border while our border is invaded by MILLIONS of illegals who are a danger to America. These people hate America and they’re so emboldened by the Democrats’ disdain for our country, they’re not even trying to hide it anymore.”
However, Omar has disputed the accuracy of the translations surrounding her speech. “It’s not only slanted but completely off, but I wouldn’t expect more from these propagandists. I pray for them and for their sanity. No nation state can survive if its states start to get involved in land lease negotiations with other countries without the consent of the federal government. Somalis in Somalia and in the diaspora are united in that effort and I stand in solidarity with them. No amount of harassment and lies will ever change that,” she wrote on X.
Omar has faced backlash from conservatives after a video surfaced of her seemingly instructing fellow Somalians on how to avoid deportation. “If ICE attempts to question you, you are not obligated to answer their questions. Just state that you are advised by a lawyer not to answer questions,” she reportedly said. “Disclosure of your name, immigration status, and the mode of entry is not mandatory. Learn the laws and prepare yourself and refrain from disclosing information that you prefer them not to know.”
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Watch Omar below:
MAGA Republican Rep. Brandon Gill responded to this, writing, “America would be a better place if @IlhanMN were deported back to Somalia.” He added, “We should have never let Ilhan Omar into our country.” Elon Musk even called out Omar claiming she was “breaking the law” over her remarks to those seeking to avoid deportation.
Watch her allegedly discuss deportation avoidance below: