Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar called out billionaire Elon Musk after he claimed erroneously that Somalis are being brought illegally to Minnesota to help keep her in office.
Musk amplified a graphic on X that asserted Democrats support illegal immigration as a way to absorb noncitizens into their voting base. Musk accused Omar, who was born in Somalia, of profiting from the purported arrangement.
The graphic, originally shared by an account describing itself as an “unapologetic believer in American exceptionalism,” claims Democrats facilitate a “flood” of undocumented immigrants in exchange for winning elections.
Musk commented:
"This has been happening for years. Ilhan Omar is the most obvious example. A large number of relatively recently arrived Somalis will elect only a Somali to Congress in that Minnesota district. This is much more subtle, but just as bad, in many other parts of America."
You can see his post below.
Minnesota's 5th District, which Omar represents, is one of the most diverse in the state.
About 16% of its residents are immigrants, the highest share of any Minnesota district, with many coming from countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Mexico, India, Laos, Ecuador, and Liberia. It also has the largest population of Somali Americans in the United States, with Somalis making up roughly 3% of the district’s population.
But what Musk overlooks is that the district, the most liberal in the Upper Midwest, has a majority white population. Data shows that the majority of the population is of German, Norwegian, Swedish, or other white European ancestry.
Musk's post soon caught Omar's attention and she responded with the following:
“You are one of the dumbest people on earth, my district is literally a majority white district. Your conspiracy theories are laughable and should have no place in a society that cares about facts.”
You can see her post below.
Others also criticized Musk in response.
Musk's post comes amid conservative claims—offered with little supporting evidence—that Somali-run child care centers in Minnesota improperly received public funds intended to support child care for low-income families. Subsequently, DHS and the FBI expanded their presence in Minnesota as federal authorities froze child care funding statewide.
Omar is one of the members of the "squad" of Democratic lawmakers. Even though three of them—a group that includes New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—were born in the United States, President Donald Trump has nonetheless said they should "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came."
Omar has spoken out against this racism and vowed to defend the Constitution after Trump criticized her as "somebody who comes from Somalia where they don't have anything" and mocked her allegiance to the Constitution. Omar has been a U.S. citizen since 2000.
