Former President Donald Trump has dramatically escalated his long-running feud with Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, appearing to suggest a connection between the Minnesota representative and the terrorist organisation ISIS in a recent social media post.
Baseless Accusation on Truth Social
On Tuesday, Trump recirculated a year-old article detailing U.S. airstrikes that killed 14 ISIS operatives in a cave complex near Bosaso, Somalia. In his accompanying commentary on Truth Social, the former president posed the inflammatory and entirely unsubstantiated question: "Was Ilhan Omar there to protect her corrupt 'homeland?'
This marked the second time in two days Trump had shared the outdated report, with his latest post representing a significant escalation in rhetoric. There exists absolutely no evidence to support any affiliation between Congresswoman Omar and ISIS, making the insinuation a particularly dangerous form of political attack.
A Pattern of Racist and Xenophobic Language
Trump's latest comment fits into a well-established pattern of targeted attacks against Omar, a progressive Democrat who was born in Somalia and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. In recent months, these attacks have intensified, adopting increasingly racist and xenophobic language.
The former president has repeatedly:
- Called for Omar's deportation
- Mocked her for wearing a hijab
- Made dehumanising generalisations about Somali-Americans, whom he has referred to as "garbage"
- Accused the community of rampant fraud
Omar has consistently condemned what she describes as Trump's "hateful rhetoric," warning that it directly incites violence and has led to multiple death threats against her.
Omar's Response and Growing Tensions
Congresswoman Omar has accused Trump of being "obsessed" with her, suggesting his persistent attacks have created a dangerous climate. This tension has grown alongside the administration's aggressive immigration enforcement operations targeting the Somali-American community in Minnesota.
Omar, who has repeatedly called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be abolished while accusing officers of violating the law, recently experienced this hostility firsthand. During a press conference where she was denouncing the administration's policies, she was sprayed with vinegar by an assailant.
Background and Political Significance
Ilhan Omar's journey to Congress is a remarkable American story. Her family fled the Somali Civil War, living in a refugee camp in Kenya before seeking asylum in the United States in 1995. In 2018, she made history by becoming:
- The first Somali-American elected to Congress
- One of the first two Muslim women to serve in the House of Representatives
Trump's latest comments represent a concerning effort to dehumanise a sitting member of Congress by falsely associating her with international terrorism. The use of a year-old article as the basis for these accusations raises questions about the motivation behind targeting Omar with such persistent and baseless attacks.
The Independent has contacted Representative Omar's office for comment regarding Trump's latest social media post, which continues a feud that shows no signs of abating as political tensions remain high in Washington.
