Photo: Alamy
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has received backlash from Americans calling to remove her from office after she declared that she puts Somalia first as a congresswoman.
A clip of Omar, a Somalian immigrant, giving a speech and noting her political priorities at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Minneapolis on Saturday was posted to X by conservative lawyer Marina Medvin.
According to subtitles of her speech, Omar stated in Somali that she and her people are “Somlians first, and Muslims second.” She decried the recent agreement between the Somaliland area and Ethiopia, which allows Ethiopian access to Somaliland ports.
According to AP News, Somaliland broke away from Somalia three decades ago but is not recognized by Somalia. The new agreement has angered Somali officials, who claim Somaliland cannot make the deal.
Regardless of whether the agreement will stand, Omar claimed during her speech that “The U.S. government will only do what Somalians in the U.S. tell them to do!”
She said that the federal government “must follow our orders” and that “we call for the shots in the US.”
Omar then pledged to represent Somali interests, praised her Somalian president, and declared, “We are people who will never allow someone else to steal our land.”
Americans voiced their opposition to her Somalia First agenda.
Founder and CEO of ACT for America, Brigitte Gabriel, posted to X, stating, “If Ilhan Omar is “Somalia First” then she should just go back to Somalia and run for office there. See how that works out for her.”
Florida congressional candidate Lavern Spicer called for Omar to resign. She stated that Omar “betrayed America and is an embarrassment.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded by calling for her to be expelled from office and then denaturalized and deported.
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