Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Community Backers Threaten Critics With Violence
Unofficial supporters of the congresswoman have used online campaigns, physical assaults, and phone calls to pressure community members who question her history.
By Elijah Fitzgerald ·
Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar is supported by a tight-knit group of Somali community members who actively threaten anyone who speaks out against her. This informal network operates without official instructions from Omar and has used online harassment and physical force to silence critics in the United States, Europe, and Africa. The group is not officially connected to the congresswoman, and it is unclear if Omar is personally aware of their specific actions.
Recent reporting indicates that one community member who broke ranks was physically assaulted in Minneapolis and again in Kenya. The victim, who requested anonymity to avoid further retribution, stated that he was jumped by 15 people and pepper-sprayed outside a restaurant in Kenya in 2022. He suffered a concussion, cuts, and bruises during the attack. The man believes the violence was triggered by a popular Somali TikTok star who shared his location and described him as a fool.
In separate videos, the TikTok creator told followers that people in the community had snitched on Omar and targeted her father. He urged fans to punish those who spoke out, telling them to punch the critic in the face if he ever visited Minnesota. The victim claimed the influencer set his followers on him after revealing his whereabouts.
Local journalists in Minnesota have faced resistance since Omar was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 2016. Sources indicate that the community often accused reporters of racism when they questioned her background, policies, or personal life. Omar arrived in Minnesota as a refugee in 1995 after escaping the civil war in Somalia. She has denied allegations that her 2009 marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, who is also her alleged brother, was a sham for immigration purposes. The couple split around 2012 but did not divorce until 2017.
Community sources describe a pattern of intimidation aimed at those who disagree with Omar. One source within the community received a phone call instructing him to recant previous statements and issue support for Omar ahead of the midterms. The source said he felt threatened daily and feared leaving his home. He reported receiving death wishes and being verbally abused or physically assaulted on the rare occasions he went out.
Only a few people in the community have publicly shared information about Omar’s relationship with Elmi. One man based in Somalia, known as Aardile, claimed to have put a hit on a Minnesota man who spoke negatively about the congresswoman. He stated in an online video that they were sending people to put the critic in a hospital coma. Another supporter told a source that he was going to be killed and called him a snake.
A leading community member in Minneapolis made a seven-minute phone call to a critic, explicitly telling him to say he lied about Omar because they were arguing. The caller wanted the critic to publish a message of support before the elections. The source refused but felt pressured to avoid being villainized further. Omar’s office did not respond to a request for comment. The congresswoman has vehemently denied that her marriage was a fraudulent scheme to obtain legal status for Elmi.
