Did President Trump call Somali-Amricans garbage?
Executive summary
Multiple mainstream outlets report that President Trump repeatedly called Somali immigrants “garbage” during a December 2, 2025, White House Cabinet meeting and in subsequent remarks, saying “we don’t want ‘em in our country” and calling Rep. Ilhan Omar “garbage” [1] [2] [3]. Reuters, BBC, AP, The Guardian and other outlets document the comments and the political fallout, including alarm in Minnesota’s large Somali-American community and defense from some administration officials [4] [5] [6].
1. What was said — multiple outlets quote the same language
News organizations quote Trump explicitly describing Somali immigrants as “garbage,” saying they “contribute nothing,” that Somalia “stinks,” and that “we don’t want ‘em in our country,” with some reports noting he said “garbage” multiple times in rapid succession and singled out Rep. Ilhan Omar by name [1] [2] [3]. Reuters and the BBC relay matching accounts that he warned the country would “go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage” [4] [5].
2. Where and when the remarks occurred
Reporting places the remarks at a December 2, 2025 Cabinet meeting and in comments tied to enforcement activity in Minnesota; outlets cite White House audio or contemporaneous eyewitness accounts and then repeat the language in their coverage [1] [2] [7]. The AP and Fortune pieces describe the setting and quote the same exchanges [3] [1].
3. How the administration framed the comments
A White House spokeswoman defended highlighting “problems caused by ‘radical Somali migrants’” and administration officials linked the rhetoric to alleged fraud schemes in Minnesota, framing it as law‑enforcement and public‑safety concern rather than broad ethnic denunciation [4] [7]. The New Republic and other outlets interpret the administration response as doubling down on a targeted immigration crackdown [8].
4. Reaction from Minnesota’s Somali community and allies
Local leaders and national advocacy groups said the comments sparked fear and outrage in Minnesota’s Somali neighborhoods, noting the community is largely U.S.-born or naturalized and that the rhetoric coincided with reported federal enforcement activity that heightened anxiety [6] [5]. Minneapolis officials warned the comments risked “othering” and increasing threats against Somali residents [2] [6].
5. Media and opinion frames — dehumanization vs. policy critique
Opinion and editorial outlets framed the president’s language as dehumanizing and racist, saying a president calling people “garbage” is a naked display of xenophobia that normalizes hostility [9]. Other reporting emphasizes the administration’s stated justification — linking comments to alleged fraud cases — and notes the political advantage of redirecting attention from separate controversies [8] [4].
6. Evidence and limits of public reporting
Multiple independent news organizations — including Reuters, AP, BBC, Fortune, The Guardian, ABC News and others — report essentially the same quotes and context, which establishes a consistent public record that Trump used the term “garbage” to describe Somali immigrants and specifically called Rep. Ilhan Omar “garbage” [4] [3] [5] [1] [2]. Available sources do not mention a verbatim, searchable official White House transcript being released; reporting relies on witness accounts, audio excerpts reported by outlets, and contemporaneous descriptions [1] [3].
7. Political and social consequences being reported
Coverage documents immediate political fallout: Minnesota officials and civil‑rights groups warned of chilling effects and increased fear in Somali communities, while some administration figures and conservative outlets cheered or defended the comments as necessary to address alleged fraud and immigration issues [6] [4] [7]. Reporting also notes a spike in online threats and local economic impacts, such as reduced traffic in Somali business corridors amid enforcement rumors [6].
8. Two competing narratives — signals and motives
One narrative — emphasized by critics, community leaders and opinion writers — reads the language as dehumanizing, racist, and politically opportunistic, intended to mobilize a base by scapegoating an ethnic minority [9] [8]. The administration’s narrative ties the remarks to enforcement and fraud investigations in Minnesota, portraying the language as blunt policy rhetoric about public‑safety concerns [4] [7]. Both narratives are present across the cited coverage.
9. What to watch next
Sources indicate scrutiny will focus on whether federal enforcement in Minnesota proceeds as described and whether official statements or documents clarify the remarks; reporting also suggests continued monitoring of local safety, migrant‑community responses, and political reverberations in Congress and state governments [6] [4]. Available sources do not mention any legal action against the president over the remarks as of these reports (not found in current reporting).
Summary judgment: major news outlets consistently report that President Trump called Somali immigrants “garbage” and applied the term to Rep. Ilhan Omar, triggering alarm in Minnesota and a split between administration defenders who cite law‑enforcement concerns and critics who call the rhetoric dehumanizing [1] [2] [3] [6] [4].