President Trump used a Monday night rally in Youngstown, Ohio, to launch a series of attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and the state of Minnesota, weaving together a federal investigation, immigration rhetoric, and unsubstantiated claims of election fraud. The event, aimed at boosting Republican candidates ahead of the midterms, came hours after federal agents searched Omar's Minneapolis-area home as part of a criminal investigation.
Trump, who has a history of targeting the Somali-born congresswoman, told the crowd, "Just look at what's happening in the once great state of Minnesota. What a mess they have done." He then turned to Omar, saying, "And Ilhan, somebody was asking. I don't know what they're doing with it, but I can tell you this: she's a disaster." The president also described her as coming from "one of the worst countries anywhere on the planet," prompting chants of "deport" from the audience.
The president's remarks come amid a federal raid on Omar's home that has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who accuse Trump of using the Justice Department for political retaliation. Earlier Monday, Trump called Omar "totally crooked" and said, "I think she's a terrible person, but that's really up to the DOJ. I have nothing to do with it."
Trump also referenced a massive pandemic-era fraud scheme in Minnesota that siphoned hundreds of millions of dollars from a federally funded nutrition program, a case that involved members of the state's Somali community. He said, "They came over here. They had nothing. They came from a government that doesn't exist. They come from a part of the world that only knows how to kill each other."
The president then pivoted to baseless claims of election fraud in Minnesota, asserting that he actually won the state in 2024 before a "rather large drop of votes" appeared. Democratic candidate Kamala Harris carried Minnesota in that election. Trump insisted, "They cheat like hell. Aside from everything else, they cheat on the elections."
This is not the first time Trump has targeted Minnesota's Somali community. Last week, he wrote on Truth Social that the state is "being taken over by Somali Immigrants" and urged residents to "fight back." Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the U.S., many of whom, like Omar and her family, arrived as refugees fleeing civil war in the 1990s.
Trump's Ohio rally is part of a broader push to rally Republicans ahead of the midterms, with key congressional seats at stake. His attacks on Omar and Minnesota are likely to resonate with his base, but they also risk inflaming tensions around immigration and the rule of law. Democrats have already accused Trump of pre-election retaliation in the Omar raid, and the controversy is unlikely to fade quickly.
The president's rhetoric has also drawn criticism from civil rights groups, who say his language about Somali immigrants dehumanizes a community that has contributed significantly to Minnesota's social and economic fabric. As the midterm campaign intensifies, Trump's focus on Omar and Minnesota appears designed to energize his supporters, but it also underscores the deep partisan divisions over immigration and justice.
