President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address was briefly disrupted when Rep. Ilhan Omar shouted at him from the House floor, breaking Democrats’ earlier plan to remain silent in protest.
Ilhan Omar shouts during Donald Trump’s SOTU address
For nearly an hour, Democratic lawmakers stuck to a strategy of sitting in silence. That changed when Trump pivoted to immigration and criticized Minnesota, calling it a “stunning example” of alleged voter fraud and blaming the state’s Somali community. Tensions escalated after Trump said Democrats “should be ashamed” for not standing to applaud his statement that the government’s primary duty is “to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”
Ilhan Omar, who represents a Minnesota district, shouted, “You have killed Americans.” She repeated the line several times before adding, “You should be ashamed.” Rep. Rashida Tlaib also raised her voice, objecting to Trump’s description of Minnesota’s Somali community as “pirates” and condemning his immigration crackdown in the state (via CNN).
Trump responded by accusing Democrats of winning elections dishonestly. “They want to cheat,” he said, later adding, “They have cheated, and their policy is so bad that the only way they can get elected is to cheat.” As Democratic members reacted, he continued: “These people are crazy. I’m telling you, they’re crazy” (via The Hill).
The heckling happened after Trump defended his immigration policies, crediting them with sealing the southern border and accelerating deportations. He did not mention the fatal shootings of US citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti last month. The critics have reportedly linked that to federal immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota.
Democratic leaders had urged members ahead of the State of the Union to avoid reacting to Trump’s rhetoric. Several lawmakers skipped the address entirely. Others, like Rep. Al Green, staged individual protests. But Green got escorted out early in the speech for the second consecutive year.
In the aftermath, Trump’s administration officials criticized Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the interruptions “incredibly distracting” on CNN, adding, “Even if you don’t agree with [Trump], you should respect him enough to listen to him.”
