Rep. Ilhan Omar drew sharp criticism after posting on X in response to President Trump’s remarks about alleged fraud cases involving members of Minnesota’s Somali community and his comments on the Epstein files.
Omar shared a clip of Trump’s Fox News interview and accused the president of trying to deflect attention from the release of Epstein-related records. Her post referenced Somalia’s harsh criminal penalties and criticized Trump’s conduct, prompting condemnation from Republicans and some Democrats who said the language was inappropriate and escalatory.
In the Fox News interview, Trump said authorities were investigating large-scale fraud in Minnesota tied to social services programs. “In Minnesota, take a look at Minnesota. So we think it’s at least $19 billion of fraud medical, every fraud,” Trump said. He added that his administration would continue pursuing waste, fraud and abuse cases.
The Department of Justice has previously announced investigations and prosecutions involving alleged misuse of federal program funds in Minnesota, including cases linked to food and health-related assistance programs. Federal officials have said the investigations target fraud, not any specific community.
Omar said Trump’s comments unfairly targeted immigrants and communities of color. The White House did not comment directly on Omar’s post but reiterated that the administration is focused on prosecuting fraud cases and recovering taxpayer funds.
The exchange comes amid heightened political tensions following the release of additional Epstein-related court records. The Justice Department has said the appearance of names in released files does not imply wrongdoing and that allegations require evidence before any legal action can be taken.
