White House Suggests Rep. Ilhan Omar Return to Somalia Amid Citizenship Debate
The White House appears to be suggesting that Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., should return to Somalia, her country of birth. This response came after Omar expressed in a video that she was not worried about being deported. The White House shared an image of President Donald Trump waving goodbye through a McDonald’s drive-thru window in 2024 in reaction to Omar's comments.
In the video, Omar mentioned that she was not concerned about losing her citizenship or being deported, as she is now an adult and could live wherever she wants. The White House and Omar's office did not provide immediate comments on the matter.
The image of Trump shared by the White House was from a campaign stop in Pennsylvania in October 2024, where he worked at a McDonald’s fry station. Omar's family fled Somalia during the civil war in 1991 and eventually received asylum in the U.S., becoming citizens in 2000.
Trump has recently suggested that Omar should go back to Somalia, stating that she should return. He also mentioned that the head of Somalia had expressed disinterest in having Omar return to the country. In response, Omar criticized Trump's credibility and called him a "lying buffoon."
The ongoing feud between Trump and Omar dates back to his first administration, with Trump previously urging Omar and other progressive lawmakers to return to their countries of origin. Omar, who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, has been vocal in her opposition to Trump's policies and rhetoric. She became the first Somali-American woman and one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress.