Congresswoman Issues Statement Following No Kings Protest
Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) sparked new controversy this week after declaring that the United States is turning into “one of the worst countries” in the world, citing the federal response to violent anti-ICE riots as a primary example.
Her comments came during an interview with the far-left program Democracy Now, where she harshly criticized both President Donald Trump and Republican governors for deploying the National Guard to restore order in several cities, including areas of her own home state.
Omar, who fled war-torn Somalia in the 1990s, told the program that she had “never witnessed anything like” the U.S. government’s handling of the protests and riots. “To have democracy, a beacon of hope for the world, to now be turned into one of the worst countries… is really shocking,” she said.
She accused the Trump administration of trampling civil liberties, using military force to intimidate civilians, and staging parades reminiscent of authoritarian regimes. “It should be a wake-up call for all Americans,” she said. “This is not the country we were born in… not the country our Founding Fathers imagined.”
Omar urged mass protest, calling on Americans to “be out in the streets rejecting what is taking place this week.”
Omar’s remarks are the latest in a long list of controversial statements the congresswoman has made about the United States. Despite being granted asylum here after fleeing Somalia’s civil war, she has consistently portrayed America as unjust and oppressive.
In a 2019 address to high school students, she said the U.S. had “not kept its promise” to her family, who came to America believing it would guarantee justice. “I grew up in an extremely unjust society,” she said. “So, I feel it necessary to speak about that promise that’s not kept.”
In 2021, Omar went further, equating the United States and Israel with Hamas and the Taliban in a tweet criticizing alleged crimes against humanity. “We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban,” she wrote — a statement that drew bipartisan condemnation.
Omar represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, which includes central Minneapolis. The district is home to one of the largest Somali communities in the country and is often referred to as “Little Mogadishu.” While her constituents have supported her reelection efforts, her critics argue that her continued attacks on American institutions are divisive and undermine national unity.