President Donald Trump, while railing about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and reports of COVID-era fraud involving members of the state's Somali immigrant population, called Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Somali immigrant, "garbage" and said he does not want Somalis in the United States.
"They contribute nothing," Trump told reporters after his Tuesday cabinet meeting, which aired live on Newsmax, including his remarks to the press. "The welfare is like 88%. They contribute nothing. I don't want them in our country."
He added that Somalia is "no good for a reason."
"Their country stinks, and we don't want them in our country," Trump said. "I can say that about other countries, too."
The president added that the United States is "at a tipping point" and "could go one way or the other."
"We're going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country," Trump said. "Ilhan Omar is garbage. She's garbage. Her friends are garbage."
And the immigrants, he continued, "aren't people that say, 'let's go, come on, let's make this place great.'"
"These are people that do nothing but complain," Trump added.
"They complain, and from where they came from, they got nothing… they come from hell, and they complain and do nothing but b***h. Let them go back to where they came from and fix it."
Omar, a Democrat, came to the United States as a Somali refugee and became a citizen 25 years ago.
The congresswoman, in a post shortly after the cabinet meeting, said Trump's "obsession with me is creepy."
Earlier this week, the mayors of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul said they believe Trump's remarks about Somali immigrants are dangerous and reckless, reports The New York Times.
"The words that founded this country start with the words 'We the People,'" said St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.
"The sacred moments in American history are the moments when we have to decide who the 'we' is," Carter added. "Who gets to be included in the 'we.' Do 'we' mean Black people? Do 'we' mean women? Do 'we' mean immigrants?"
He also called the president's remarks racist and un-American.
The city of Minneapolis on Tuesday also spoke out about reports that the administration is planning targeted enforcement against Somali immigrants in the Twin Cities.
"Minneapolis is proud to be home to the largest Somali community in the country," said Mayor Jacob Frey.
"They are our neighbors, our friends, and our family, and they are welcome in our city," he added. "Nothing Donald Trump does will ever change that."
City leaders further noted that Minneapolis "has the most vibrant Somali-American community in the nation" and that it is "proud of this community and the many achievements of people who have immigrated from Somalia and now call Minneapolis home."
"The City stands with our immigrant neighbors, and we want to reaffirm that the City of Minneapolis does not work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on civil immigration enforcement operations," the city's statement said.
Trump on Tuesday said that Walz, who campaigned with former Vice President Kamala Harris against him and Vice President JD Vance in the 2024 election, is a "grossly incompetent man."
"There's something wrong with him, and when you look at what he's done with Somalia, which is barely a country," said Trump.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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