Trump bashed Omar during a rally in her home district on Thursday, calling her an “America-hating socialist.”
By World Israel News Staff and Associated Press
President Donald Trump slammed Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Thursday during a rally in her home state, stirring up passions as few politicians can, calling her a “fraud” and “disgrace to our country.”
Trump spoke at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, which falls within the district held by Omar, the Somali-American lawmaker whom Trump often holds up as a symbol of the liberal shift in the Democratic Party.
Calling her an “America-hating socialist,” he said, “How do you have such a person representing you in Minnesota? She is a disgrace to our country.”
Trump said Omar is the reason he’ll win Minnesota in 2020. He hopes to become the first Republican presidential candidate to carry Minnesota since Richard Nixon in 1972.
Trump won just 18 percent of the vote in Omar’s largely liberal congressional district where he staged his rally.
Trump also promised to stop Somali immigration into Minnesota.
“For many years, leaders in Washington brought large numbers of refugees to your state from Somalia without considering the impact on schools, communities and taxpayers,” Trump said.
“I promise you as president, I would give local communities a greater say in refugee policy and put in place enhanced vetting and responsible immigration controls.”
Trump has singled out Omar, together with three other freshman Democratic representatives, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), for special criticism, painting them as the face of the Democratic party.
He has tweeted that Omar should “go back” to her home country if she wants to criticize the U.S. Trump supporters broke into chants of “Send her back!” at a rally this summer in North Carolina.
Although Trump didn’t bring it up at the rally, Omar has made numerous controversial statements regarding Israel and Jews, which have been described as overtly anti-Semitic.