Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) called for the expulsion of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) after she gave a speech expressing irredentist views about her homeland, Somalia.
Omar came under fire this week after a speech she gave in Somali to a crowd in Minneapolis over the weekend was spread widely across social media. Though the translation of the speech has become controversial, all interpretations appear to show that she promised to advance Somali interests through her position in Congress. She vowed to sway the United States to support the Somali government over land disputes, referring to land held by Ethiopia.
The remarks drew outrage from conservative figures online, who openly questioned her loyalty. DeSantis said the remarks were enough to warrant her expulsion from Congress and the United States.
“Expel from Congress, denaturalize and deport!” DeSantis said in a post on X, responding to Omar’s speech.
Omar hit back at DeSantis by mocking his failed 2024 presidential campaign, deriding reports that he claimed to be preparing a 2028 campaign.
The original translation spread online was posted by an ambassador of Somaliland, a region that broke off from Somalia amid the wars and chaos in the region over the past few decades. Omar and her defenders alleged that the translation was edited deceptively to paint her in the worst possible light. However, the translation shared by Omar still shows her vowing to use her position in the U.S. government to advance the interests of her homeland.
“My response was: the U.S. government will do what we ask it to do,” she was quoted as saying in her favored translation. “We should have this confidence in ourselves as Somalis. We live in this country. We are taxpayers in this country. This country is one where one of your daughters sits in Congress. While I am in Congress, no one will take Somalia’s sea. The United States will not back others to rob us. So, do not lose sleep over that, O Minnesotans. The lady you sent to Congress is on this, and she is as cognizant of this interest as you are.”
Responding to another controversial speech, in which the translation claims she referred to the Somali president as “our president,” X owner Elon Musk said Omar “doesn’t sound loyal to the United States.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) labeled Omar a “terrorist sympathizer” over her comments.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Terrorist sympathizer Ilhan Omar in her own words: Somalian first. Muslim second. She never mentions America,” Greene said. “She flaunts using her position as congresswoman to protect Somalia’s border while our border is invaded by MILLIONS of illegals who are a danger to America. These people hate America and they’re so emboldened by the Democrats’ disdain for our country, they’re not even trying to hide it anymore.”
Omar’s position on Somali land disputes was also brought into question due to the role of her father, who served in a prominent position in the Somali army after being trained in the Soviet Union, according to the Sahan Journal. His career coincided with the Isaaq genocide, during which anywhere from 10,000 to 200,000 people were murdered over a year, though it’s unknown whether he played a role, as some claim.
