Bold claim: the clash between Minneapolis and Washington over Somali refugees has turned into a high-stakes political confrontation that demands clarity, not insult. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) pushed back on Wednesday against President Trump after the president labeled him a “fool” amid mounting tensions surrounding Somali immigrants.
Frey spoke with CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront, insisting the remark wasn’t clever or fair. He argued that Trump often speaks impulsively, then offered a counterimage of Minneapolis: a city that is not a “hellhole” but rather a place that feels open and alive. Frey described Minneapolis as a city set in a park, where Somali Americans are not tearing down the city but lifting it up and taking pride in calling the place home.
The White House clash escalated when Trump, in the Oval Office, responded to a reporter noting Frey’s expressed pride in the Somali community. Trump dismissed Frey as a fool and castigated Somalia, calling it not a true nation and describing people there as engaged in violence. He then labeled Minnesota a “hellhole” and suggested Somalis should leave the state.
In recent weeks, Trump has intensified his rhetoric about Somalis, claiming that hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees are overwhelming Minnesota. During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, he directed sharp criticisms at Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), labeling her “garbage.” He reiterated opposition to Somali immigration to the United States and described Somalia with a negative adjective.
Omar, who became a U.S. citizen 25 years ago after fleeing civil war in Somalia as a child, has been a focal point of these discussions.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded to requests for comment with an email asserting that President Trump is right to highlight alleged problems caused by radical Somali migrants whom Democrats allegedly allowed to enter the country and rely on American taxpayers.
Updated at 4:50 p.m. EST
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