Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis called Tuesday for Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar to be expelled from Congress, denaturalized as a U.S. citizen and deported back to Somalia in response to a speech where she said her primary job in Congress is to protect Somali interests.
Omar has faced criticism from Republicans in Congress as well after a Jan. 27 speech has gone viral of her remarks to Somalian leaders in Minnesota.
Omar was speaking in Somali in her speech and did not mention her support for the U.S. and instead said she was “Somalian first, Muslim second” and that she was “here to protect the interests of Somalia from inside the U.S. system,” according to a translation of her speech shared on Twitter by Ambassador Rhoda J. Elmi, the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Somaliland.
Omar also reportedly said: “While I am in Congress, no one will take Somalia’s sea. The United States will not back others to rob us. So, do not lose sleep over that,” Newsweek reported.
“Expel from Congress, denaturalize and deport!” DeSantis said in response to her speech. (RELATED: ‘Squad’ Member Ilhan Omar To Face Competitive Primary Challenger)
WATCH:
Expel from Congress, denaturalize and deport! https://t.co/UyjEmSSIoQ
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) January 30, 2024
Other lawmakers such as Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer have gone after Omar over the remarks. (RELATED: ROOKE: Biden’s Border Crisis Exposed America’s Dirty Foreign Agent Secret)
“Ilhan Omar’s appalling, Somalia-first comments are a slap in the face to the Minnesotans she was elected to serve and a direct violation of her oath of office. She should resign in disgrace,” Emmer said on Twitter.
Omar has claimed the subtitles and translation were 100% accurate, saying in a tweet: “It’s not only slanted but completely off, but I wouldn’t expect more from these propagandists. I pray for them and for their sanity. No nation-state can survive if its states start to get involved in land lease negotiations with other countries without the consent of the federal government. Somalis in Somalia and in the diaspora are united in that effort and I stand in solidarity with them. No amount of harassment and lies will ever change that.”