Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is facing a growing push for her to “resign in disgrace” over a speech on Saturday in which she appears to prioritize her native Somalia over the United States. In a now-viral clip circulated online, Omar, the first Somali to serve in Congress, allegedly declared herself “a Somali first and a Muslim second,” sparking calls for her expulsion from both the House of Representatives and the United States itself.
Omar’s comments came during a speech at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis celebrating the re-election of Said Abdullahi Deni as the President of the Puntland State of Somalia on Saturday. The speech, delivered in Somali, was reportedly translated by officials from Somaliland, a breakaway region of the country that has attempted to establish independence for decades but has not been recognized by any other nations.
Somaliland is in the process of finalizing a deal with neighboring Ethiopia, offering the landlocked country access to the coast in exchange for formal recognition. This negotiation has escalated tensions with the Somali government, leading to threats of retaliation unless the “illegal memorandum” is retracted.
But according to Omar, as long as she is able to influence the United States government, this deal will never take effect.
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In an independently translated version of the speech, Omar claims that she has received calls from concerned Somali Americans saying “‘you need to talk to the US government; what is the government of the US doing?’”
She continued:
My answer to their question was that the US government will do what we tell them to do about it. We need to be confident in ourselves. We live in this country; it is the country that we pay tax to, and it is the country that one of your daughters is in. As long as I am in the US Congress, no one will take a way in the Somali sea or water. And I will not support the US government in supporting other people to rob us. Rest assured that it will not happen, Minnesota. The lady that you sent to Congress knows about you, and she feels your interest like you all do.
Elsewhere in her remarks, Omar thanked Somalis everywhere for their support of “our president” back in their homeland and described herself as “Somali first and Muslim second,” declining to mention her American citizenship.
“They will do what we want and nothing else,” she continued, assuring the crowd that the Somaliland deal will fail. “They must follow our orders, and that is how we will safeguard the interest of Somalia. We Somalians must have that confidence in ourselves that we call the shots in the US.”
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As the video circulated online—racking up more than 2 million views in the first 24 hours—top officials within the United States government began calling for her to be removed from Congress.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) called Omar’s comments a “slap in the face” to Minnesotans and urged Omar to “resign in disgrace.”
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.https://t.co/O3lAEGlokt
— Tom Emmer (@GOPMajorityWhip) January 29, 2024
Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) suggested that it “might be time to discuss expelling another member of Congress,” comparing her to Rep. George Santos, who was expelled by the Republican Party late last year.
What if @Ilhan fought for Somalia from Somalia? Might be time to discuss expelling another member of Congress. https://t.co/8RoQrXJVBp
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) January 29, 2024
Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) further accused Omar of violating her oath of office with her “treasonous comments and allegiance to Somalia.”
Terrorist sympathizer Ilhan Omar has shown her true colors. Her treasonous comments and allegiance to Somalia are a violation of her oath of office.
Our elected officials have a duty to our nation, and our nation only. We must be vigilant when deciding who is allowed to enter… https://t.co/youFwJkyZm
— Rep. Diana Harshbarger (@RepHarshbarger) January 29, 2024
Other public figures went further, suggesting that Omar’s naturalized citizenship should be revoked, leading to her expulsion from the country. Omar and her family were granted asylum in the United States in 1995.
Expel from Congress, denaturalize and deport! https://t.co/UyjEmSSIoQ
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) January 30, 2024
Listen to it all. It’s not hyperbole when we say our representatives are putting America last. https://t.co/I8WKmCd2bi
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 29, 2024
Omar responded to the controversy, calling the Somaliland translators “propagandists” and saying that the video was “not only slanted but completely off.”
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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