Billionaire Elon Musk suggested early Wednesday that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) had committed “treason” in comments from January 2024 that her critics said placed Somali interests ahead of America’s.
“This sounds like treason,” Musk wrote on X alongside a clip of the remarks, hours after President Trump delivered a rant against the Democratic lawmaker while giving remarks at a rally in Pennsylvania.
“I love this Ilhan Omar, whatever the hell her name is, with the little turban,” the president said. ““I love her. She comes in, does nothing but b—h. She’s always complaining. She comes from her country, where I mean, it’s considered about the worst country in the world, right?”
“We ought to get her the hell out,” Trump went on as the audience in Mount Pocono, Pa. chanted “Send her back!”
Soon after, Omar’s Jan. 27, 2024, comments to her Twin Cities constituents that she would do everything in her power to prevent the breakaway Republic of Somaliland from entering into a sea-access deal with landlocked Ethiopia were rocketing around social media, courtesy of the Tesla and SpaceX CEO.
“The US government will only do what Somalians in the US tell them to do,” read a translation of Omar’s remarks. “They will do what we want and nothing else. They must follow our orders and that is how we will safeguard the interest of Somalia … As long as I am in the US Congress, Somalia will never be in danger, its waters will not be stolen by Ethiopia or others. The US would not dare to support anyone against Somalia to steal our land or oceans. Sleep in comfort, knowing I am here to protect the interests of Somalia from inside the US system.”
The comments by Omar caused an uproar among her fellow lawmakers at the time, with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) calling on her to “resign in disgrace.”
“Ilhan Omar’s appalling, Somalia-first comments are a slap in the face to the Minnesotans she was elected to serve and a direct violation of her oath of office,” Emmer wrote on X at the time.
Omar, 43, responded Tuesday evening to Trump’s Pennsylvania comments about her, writing on X: “Trump’s obsession with me is beyond weird. He needs serious help. Since he has no economic policies to tout, he’s resorting to regurgitating bigoted lies instead. He continues to be a national embarrassment.”
