WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump used a White House ceremony on border security Thursday to launch personal attacks against Democratic Representatives Jasmine Crockett and Ilhan Omar, remarks that quickly sparked outrage and highlighted deep political divisions.
The incident occurred during an event where Trump was signing executive orders related to immigration enforcement. During his speech, he turned his focus to the two congresswomen, making disparaging comments that were met with laughter from attendees.
Referring to Representative Crockett (D-Texas), Trump described her as “a low IQ person” and stated she was “unfit for Congress.” He then targeted Representative Omar (D-Minnesota), who was born in Somalia and became a U.S. citizen as a teenager. Trump claimed he told the president of Somalia, “maybe he’d like to take her back,” and alleged the Somali leader refused, saying, “I don’t want her.”
Omar responded swiftly on the social media platform X, denouncing the former president’s story. She called the anecdote “fabricated” and labeled Trump a “lying buffoon.” The comments ignited a firestorm online, with critics condemning the remarks as racist and xenophobic, while some of Trump’s supporters applauded his blunt style.
The event, intended to showcase policy actions on a key campaign issue, was instead dominated by the personal and political fallout from Trump’s comments, underscoring the contentious atmosphere surrounding his return to the White House.
