Trump calls out Minnesota in State of the Union, prompting Democrat protests

By Elyse Apel
The Center Square

Minnesota Democrats faced off against President Donald Trump during his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Throughout the nearly two-hour speech, Democrats like U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, repeatedly heckled the president.

An immigrant from Somalia herself, Omar specifically reacted to Trump’s comments about Somali immigration and accusations of widespread fraud.

“When it comes to the corruption that is plundering America, there has been no more stunning example than Minnesota – where members of the Somali community have pillaged an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayer,” Trump said.

“The Somali pirates who ransack Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception,” he added. “Importing these cultures through unrestricted immigration and open borders brings those problems right here to the USA.”

Omar could be heard yelling “liar” at Trump during those comments. At other times, she shouted “you have killed Americans” and “you should be ashamed.” She joined a few other Democrats in eventually walking out of the speech before it was finished.

During the speech, Trump announced he was charging Vice President J.D. Vance with leading a “war on fraud.” He referred specifically to fraud in Minnesota, which he said was “the kind of corruption that shreds the fabric of a nation.”

In another notable showdown, Trump directly called out Democrats on immigration.

He asked, “If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”

In response to that, every Minnesota Democrat in attendance at the State of the Union refused to stand during the minute-long ovation. That included U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is running for governor of Minnesota, as well as Omar and her fellow U.S. Reps. from Minnesota Angie Craig, Kelly Morrison and Betty McCollum.

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minnesota, joined the dozens of Democrat lawmakers who boycotted the president’s address.