Has Ilhan Omar publicly addressed accusations about her alleged quote regarding Somalia?
Executive summary
Ilhan Omar has publicly responded to recent attacks and policy moves targeting Somali migrants and herself, including a direct reply on X after President Trump called her and Somali Americans “garbage” and urged Somalis to go “back” [1] [2]. Reporting also shows a pattern of past disputes over translations and a 2024 controversy about purported remarks on Somalia that led to official rebukes — reporting which concluded the original translation claims were faulty [3] [4].
1. What prompted the current wave of accusations — and Omar’s immediate reply
President Trump’s December 2025 remarks at a Cabinet meeting explicitly denigrated Somali Americans and singled out Rep. Ilhan Omar, calling her “garbage” and saying Somalis “stink” or “contribute nothing,” while announcing moves to end long-standing protections for Somali nationals [5] [6] [1]. Omar responded on X (formerly Twitter) calling the president’s fixation “creepy” and saying she hopes “he gets the help he desperately needs,” according to multiple outlets summarizing her public rebuttal [2] [1].
2. Did Omar ever make the specific quoted line about “Somalians first, Muslims second”?
The original query appears tied to earlier claims about Omar saying “Somalians first, Muslims second.” Minnesota Reformer’s reporting found that available translations do not show she said “Somalians first, Muslims second,” and that some conservative outlets acknowledged they had not independently verified the translation before amplifying the claim [4]. Newsweek’s 2024 coverage documents a separate episode in which Omar “countered backlash” over purported comments and that Somaliland officials publicly criticized the reported wording — indicating the claim circulated and produced official pushback [3].
3. Where reporting diverges — translation, context, and political spin
Local translation analyses and regional outlets concluded the widely shared translation was faulty; Republicans who amplified the line did so even as some outlets noted they had not verified the translation [4]. Other reporting focuses less on precise wording and more on political consequences: Somaliland’s deputy foreign minister said Omar’s purported comments were “profoundly surprised, even shocked,” illustrating how translations — accurate or not — have diplomatic and political effects [3]. Different outlets emphasize either the mistranslation problem (Minnesota Reformer) or the diplomatic fallout (Newsweek).
4. The pattern: repeated targeting and the use of immigration rhetoric
Coverage across The New York Times, Washington Post, Fox News and regional outlets places the latest attacks in a broader pattern: the president and some allies have repeatedly urged Omar to “go back,” proposed or implemented curbs on Somali migration and rescinded Temporary Protected Status for Somalis, and have used anti-Somali language in public settings [7] [5] [6] [8]. Those policy and rhetorical moves have produced immediate, public pushback from Omar and her allies — she’s repeatedly defended her record and criticized the administration’s actions [1] [2].
5. What the sources do not establish
Available sources do not present a contemporaneous, verifiable transcript showing Omar saying the exact phrase “Somalians first, Muslims second” in the most recent flap; Minnesota Reformer’s analysis specifically says neither of their translations show that line [4]. Available sources do not provide a single authoritative recording or court-verified transcript that confirms the often-circulated phrasing as Omar’s words [4]. They also do not show unanimity among outlets: some focus on the mistranslation, others on diplomatic outrage, and others on the wider political attack narrative [3] [4].
6. Reading the motives: why this keeps surfacing
Two forces are clear in the sourced coverage. First, political opponents have repeatedly weaponized Omar’s Somali background to question her allegiance and stoke nativist sentiment — a strategy documented in several outlets that cite repeated “go back” attacks by the president and allies [7] [1]. Second, translation errors and rapid social-media amplification turned an unclear phrase into a national story in 2024 and furnished a durable smear that opponents recycle; journalistic translations found the decisive line lacking in the primary-language renditions [4] [3].
7. What to watch next
Reporting shows the immediate levers are policy (rescission of Somali protections/TPS) and public rhetoric from the White House and allies; how national outlets and Somali community leaders react will shape whether the dispute stays a political talking point or returns to questions about translation accuracy and source verification [5] [6] [1]. For verification, look for publication of original-language audio or multiple independent translations; Minnesota Reformer’s methodical translation work is the existing example cited in coverage [4].
Limitations: this analysis uses only the supplied reporting; it does not rely on unprovided audio/transcripts and therefore cannot independently confirm what Omar did or did not say beyond what those sources report [3] [4].