Trump escalates anti-Somali, Islamophobic rhetoric
President casts Minnesota's Somali community as threat and smears Michigan's Abdul El-Sayed, drawing condemnation from civil-rights advocates
WASHINGTON (MNTV) — President Donald Trump has intensified his attacks on Somali Americans and Muslims, portraying Minnesota’s Somali community as a threat ahead of the November midterm elections and drawing condemnation from civil-rights advocates.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed Somali immigrants were “taking over” Minnesota, alleged that violence was spreading across the state and urged residents to “fight back” and seek federal intervention, as first reported across U.S. outlets.
He has previously referred to Somalis as “garbage.” Advocates warned that casting an entire ethnic or religious community as dangerous fuels prejudice and hostility.
Trump has repeatedly cited a Minnesota fraud case, dating to 2020, in which millions of dollars were stolen from a federally funded child-nutrition programme.
Many defendants were Somali Americans, though the scheme’s convicted ringleader, Aimee Bock, was not a Somali immigrant; she was sentenced to 41 years in prison in May.
Human rights experts accuse Trump of using individual wrongdoing to stigmatise a whole community, and note his own pardons of people convicted of fraud.
“Somali Minnesotans are our neighbors. They are part of Minnesota. And the Minnesota I know and love is so much better than this bigotry,” said state Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Trump separately renewed his attack on Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, again calling him a “RADICAL Extremist” and “Terrorist Sympathizer” while endorsing Republican Mike Rogers.
El-Sayed, who if elected would be the first Muslim U.S. senator, accused Trump of exploiting his faith to distract from the economy: “He thinks he can use my name and my faith to distract us from the suffering his policies are inflicting on us at the pump, at the grocery store, and at the doctor’s office.”
The Michigan Democratic Party and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the remarks as racist.
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
