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Trump Urges Minnesotans to 'Fight Back' Against Somali Immigrants
Confirmed
In Short: President Donald Trump urged Minnesotans to 'fight back' against Somali immigrants, accusing the governor of incompetence and offering federal aid.
President Donald Trump urged Minnesotans to 'fight back' against Somali immigrants in a Truth Social post on Thursday, offering federal aid if needed.
Trump also directed his criticism at Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, calling on both Walz and Frey to 'immediately ask for Federal help — and leave the rest to us!'
The president's comments came amid reports of widespread public funds fraud linked to the Somali ex-pat community in Minnesota.
Trump's rhetoric against Somali immigrants intensified following reports last year about dozens of people of Somali descent being convicted in fraud schemes.
Walz addressed the post in a fundraising email, calling it an 'unhinged social media tirade' meant to distract from high prices and the war with Iran.
Walz told Somali Americans: 'To our Somali neighbors: You are valued. You belong here. And we’re going to stand with you.'
The relationship between Trump and Walz soured after the 2020 riots following George Floyd's death, despite initial cooperation.
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, with over 100,000 people of Somali descent living in the state.
The FBI arrested and charged an 18-year-old American-born citizen of Somali descent for attempting to commit a terrorist attack in support of ISIS at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Somali Americans have faced hostility from the president since his first-term ban on immigrants from majority-Muslim countries, but it has intensified over the past year.
Trump's comments come after federal officials announced charges against a Somali American man over an alleged terror attack plot at the Mall of America.
The Trump administration has alleged widespread fraud involving Minnesota’s Somali community, repeatedly invoking those allegations to justify its broader crackdown on Somali immigrants in the state.
Background
Ole Miss star running back Kewan Lacy is expected to return this week against Vanderbilt after missing the previous game due to injury.
What's confirmed
- "Your Governor is an incompetent thief who doesn't want to get involved. He just wants to get out of town with as much as he can steal, and then, lead a quiet life."
- "Governor Tim Walz, and Mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, must immediately ask for Federal help — and leave the rest to us!" Walz is not seeking reelection for governor in November.
- "The Somalians should not be allowed to get away with what they are doing. They view you as weak and stupid people. Fight back Minnesota, fight back. If you need, the Federal Government will come to your rescue," he added.
- “The once Great State of Minnesota is being taken over by Somali Immigrants. There is Violence, Murder, and Mayhem all over the State. The people of Minnesota must fight back,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
- At a cabinet meeting in December, Trump called Somalis “garbage” and said he wants them to “go back to where they came from.” More than 80% of Somali Minnesotans are American citizens and roughly 40% were born here.
- Walz addressed the post in a fundraising email from Small Town PAC, calling it an “unhinged social media tirade” meant to distract from high prices and the war with Iran.
- Somali Americans have faced hostility from the president since his first-term ban on immigrants from majority-Muslim countries, but it has intensified over the past year.
What's still developing
- He just wants to get out of town with as much as he can steal, and then, lead a quiet life." "The Somalians should not be allowed to get away with what they are doing.
- He’s targeted Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who moved to the U.S. from the country in the 1990s, said the “ only thing ” that Somalians are skilled at is “pirating ships,” promised to “take [Minnesota] back from Somalia,” and more.
- While CBS News reported in February that 82 people of Somali descent had been charged in major fraud cases, the outlet added that they represented a tiny fraction of Minnesota’s Somali population of more than 107,000.
- President Donald Trump posted an incredibly inflammatory message to Truth Social urging Minnesotans to “fight back” against their Somali neighbors and claiming they have been “robbed.” The president has made no shortage of racist claims about the African country — Minnesota’s Somali community specifically.
- Analyst: Democrats show promise in gaining congressional control President Donald Trump posted a new fulmination against Somali immigrants on his social media platform Thursday, using violent rhetoric.
- Trump called Walz, without evidence, “an incompetent thief.” Walz released his tax returns during his two runs for governor and run for vice president, and they showed he has few assets outside public employee pensions.
- While the pair worked together during the riots of 2020 following George Floyd's death—with the president calling Walz an "excellent guy" and saying he was "very happy" with how Minnesota had mobilized the National Guard as unrest spread—the relationship soured in the years after.
- Trump's comment come after the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the arrest of 18-year-old Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, a U.S. citizen of Somali heritage, on Wednesday.
- He had made the exchange with an undercover FBI agent, authorities said.
- Soon after, Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched “Operation Metro Surge” to crack down on illegal immigration in Minneapolis and the surrounding areas.