A recently resurfaced video featuring Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, a member of the progressive “Squad,” has sparked significant controversy on social media this week, as conservatives criticized her for previous comments regarding the “radicalization of White men.”
“I would argue that our nation should be more apprehensive about White men throughout our country, as they are indeed responsible for the majority of deaths in this nation,” Omar stated in an interview with Middle East outlet Al-Jazeera in 2018, while discussing domestic terrorism threats in the United States and addressing a question about the level of concern posed by “jihadism” to the United States.
“Therefore, if fear were the primary motivator for policies aimed at ensuring the safety of Americans within this country, we ought to be profiling, monitoring, and developing policies to combat the radicalization of White men,” she further elaborated.
Her racially charged and entirely erroneous statements, which were shared by conservative influencers such as Laura Loomer and LibsofTikTok, accumulating millions of views, incited outrage among conservatives on social media, including reactions from within the White House.
“This is not merely disturbing; it constitutes genocidal rhetoric,” Vice President JD Vance remarked on X. “What a disgrace this individual is.”
“This is overt racism,” GOP Senator Mike Lee commented on X. “Who will denounce it?”
“@ilhanMN continues to be a source of embarrassment for Minnesota,” GOP Majority Whip Representative Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, stated on X.
“There has never been a more anti-American member of Congress than Ilhan Omar,” conservative influencer Paul Szypula expressed on X.
In response to a media inquiry, Omar’s office directed Fox News Digital to her post on X where she addressed Vance’s comments.
“In this nearly eight-year-old clip, I am referencing the increase of white nationalism as reported in an annual report by the Anti-Defamation League, which indicated that white supremacists were accountable for 78 percent of ‘extremist-related murders,’” Omar explained. “Additionally, you might want to research the actual meaning of ‘genocidal.’
Furthermore, Omar has a documented history of anti-Semitism that has been denounced by Jewish members within her own political party.
In February, first-term GOP Representative Brandon Gill from Texas urged the Trump administration to return Omar to her native Somalia.
“America would be a better place if @IlhanMN were deported back to Somalia,” Gill stated on Tuesday via the X platform.
Accompanying Gill’s tweet was a video clip of Omar, in which she seems to be advising fellow Somalis residing in the U.S. — potentially without legal status — on how to evade federal immigration authorities.
The video was shared by conservative figure Greg Price, who commented: “Ilhan Omar is now conducting workshops for Somalis living in the country illegally to guide them on how to avoid deportation.”
Numerous users on X expressed support for Gill’s stance.
“100%! She’s as anti-American as they come. She swore allegiance to the United States and has consistently acted against it. She’s a fraud, liar, and traitor to this nation!” one user remarked.
“Isn’t this illegal? She should be expelled!” another user added.
A different user suggested: “She is committing federal offenses by instructing undocumented immigrants on how to evade ICE. She warrants investigation and prosecution.”
Later, Gill asserted that “we should have never allowed Ilhan Omar into our country.”
A spokesperson for Gill informed The Hill, “Representative Omar’s actions raise concerns regarding her loyalty — whether it lies with the American populace or with illegal aliens from Somalia. Representative Gill merely pointed out that it is shameful for a sitting Congresswoman and U.S. citizen to aid in the invasion of our nation by undocumented Somalis.”
For years, Omar has also faced allegations of fraud related to her entry into the United States through various channels, although no evidence of misconduct has been presented.
