Elon Musk decided to liven up the early morning hours on Wednesday by taking aim at Rep. Ilhan Omar, resurfacing a January 2024 clip that plenty of people had not forgotten, even if Washington pretended otherwise. Musk watched the video and came to a blunt conclusion, writing, “This sounds like treason.” For someone who usually sticks to rockets and electric cars, he certainly knows how to detonate a political firestorm with a single post.
His timing was no accident. The clip went back into circulation just after President Trump lit into Omar during a rally in Pennsylvania. Trump, never one to dance around a point, told the crowd, “I love this Ilhan Omar, whatever the hell her name is, with the little turban. I love her. She comes in, does nothing but b h. She’s always complaining. She comes from her country, where I mean, it’s considered about the worst country in the world, right?” The crowd knew exactly where he was going. Minutes later, the familiar chant rolled across the venue. Send her back.
Omar’s controversial comments came from a conversation she had with constituents in Minnesota. She vowed to block Somaliland from entering into a port access deal with Ethiopia. The moment the translation hit the internet again, the backlash exploded. In the clip, she said, “The US government will only do what Somalians in the US tell them to do. They will do what we want and nothing else. They must follow our orders and that is how we will safeguard the interest of Somalia.” She went on to promise that Somalia’s land and waters would be protected because she was inside the US system.
That kind of rhetoric might go over well at a clan meeting in Mogadishu, but it did not sit well in Washington. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer called her comments a disgrace and said she should resign. He noted they insulted the Minnesotans she was elected to represent and violated her oath of office. It is hard to argue with that. When a member of Congress openly claims she is using her position to defend a foreign nation’s interests, people tend to ask questions, especially when taxpayers are the ones funding her salary.
Omar fired back after Trump’s latest jab, accusing him of obsession and saying he needs serious help. She claimed he was recycling bigoted lies because he has no economic policies to promote. It is a predictable response, but it does not erase what she said on camera. Musk shined a light on it, Trump amplified it, and voters were reminded once again that Omar’s priorities rarely seem to match the country she represents.