Quick Read
- President Donald Trump called for Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib to be removed from the U.S. and institutionalized.
- The remarks followed Omar and Tlaib’s protests during Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
- Lawmakers shouted “You have killed Americans!” and Tlaib wore an “F*** ICE” pin, criticizing Trump’s immigration policies.
- Trump described them as “Low IQ,” “LUNATICS,” and “mentally deranged” on his Truth Social platform.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned Trump’s rhetoric as xenophobic and racist.
WASHINGTON (Azat TV) – U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against Democratic Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib this week, calling for their removal from the country and suggesting they be “institutionalised” after their vocal protests during his State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Trump’s remarks, posted on his Truth Social platform late Wednesday, came in response to the two lawmakers’ outspoken criticism of his administration’s immigration policies during his nearly two-hour speech. The incident has further inflamed political divisions and drawn sharp condemnation from Democratic leaders and civil rights groups.
Lawmakers Protest During State of the Union Address
During President Trump’s State of the Union address, Representatives Tlaib, a Palestinian American from Michigan, and Omar, a Somali American from Minnesota, audibly protested his administration’s immigration crackdown. As Trump spoke about ending “sanctuary cities,” both lawmakers shouted, “You have killed Americans!”
Representative Omar later clarified on social media that she was referencing the deaths of two of her constituents in Minnesota, who were killed by federal officers during protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids last year. Trump’s administration had launched a sweeping immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, part of Omar’s 5th Congressional District.
Representative Tlaib, the first woman of Palestinian descent in the U.S. Congress, also wore a prominent “F*** ICE” pin on the House floor and a message reading “STAND WITH SURVIVORS RELEASE THE FILES,” reportedly referencing materials related to the late Jeffrey Epstein. Both Tlaib and Omar, members of the progressive group known as “the Squad,” reportedly departed the speech early.
Trump’s Harsh Rhetoric Against Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar
In his social media posts, Donald Trump did not mince words, describing Omar and Tlaib as “Low IQ Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib” who screamed uncontrollably with “bulging, bloodshot eyes of crazy people, LUNATICS, mentally deranged and sick who, frankly, look like they should be institutionalised.”
Trump further stated, “When people can behave like that, and knowing that they are Crooked and Corrupt Politicians, so bad for our Country, we should send them back from where they came – as fast as possible.” He concluded by asserting, “They can only damage the United States of America, they can do nothing to help it.”
This is not the first time Trump has used such language against the two lawmakers, who are both naturalized U.S. citizens. He has previously targeted Omar’s Somali American community in Minnesota with similar “go back where they came from” remarks and allegations of fraud.
Reactions to Trump’s Statements and Immigration Policy
The president’s comments quickly drew criticism. House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned Trump’s rhetoric as “xenophobic” and “disgraceful,” according to WKZO. The Council on American-Islamic Relations also labeled Trump’s statements as racist. Representative Tlaib responded on X, suggesting Trump’s comments showed “he is crashing out,” using the Arabic word “Majnoon” (mad or fanatical) to describe him.
The White House did not immediately issue a direct response to Trump’s remarks, though White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had previously stated that members of the media had “smeared” the president as a racist. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson, in a statement to Fox News Digital, defended ICE officers, citing a “1300% increase in assaults” and accusing elected Democrats of creating “dangerous, untrue smears.”
Trump’s administration has consistently focused on a strict crackdown on illegal immigration, which rights groups argue has created a fearful environment and used isolated fraud cases to target immigrant communities. At least eight people have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers since the beginning of 2026, following 31 deaths last year.
The repeated targeting of Representatives Omar and Tlaib by a president, particularly with calls for their removal from the country, underscores the deep polarization within American politics and the ongoing weaponization of immigration and identity in political discourse. Their protests, though controversial in their delivery, highlight a significant and visceral opposition to current immigration enforcement tactics, pushing the boundaries of congressional decorum in expressing profound dissent.