MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Amid an ongoing immigration fraud investigation surrounding Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, a fabricated quote has been making the rounds on social media, falsely alleging that the Democrat demanded white men be enslaved and put in chains.
The Viral Claim: Did Ilhan Omar advocate for enslaving white men?
The viral post surfaced on X (formerly Twitter), featuring a photograph of the Somali-born congresswoman alongside a fraudulent quote: “I am America’s hope and the president’s nightmare. I think all white men should be put in chains as slaves because they will never submit to Islam.” The graphic falsely claims these were “her own Twitter words.”
The post quickly gained traction, racking up hundreds of thousands of views across various platforms. The manufactured statement provoked immediate outrage, with critics slamming the congresswoman for alleged racism, though some social media users urged caution and called for fact-checking.
Fact Check: The statement is entirely fabricated
In reality, the claim is completely baseless. Rep. Ilhan Omar never made any such remarks regarding the enslavement of white men.
While the first portion of the quote is authentic—Omar did refer to herself as “America’s hope and the president’s nightmare” in a jab at Donald Trump during a 2018 appearance on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah—she never uttered the subsequent sentences about chains or Islam. A review of that 2018 interview confirms the remarks were fabricated and added to her actual words.
Omar’s press office confirmed to Reuters, “She never said that.” Furthermore, Omar herself addressed the quote when it originally circulated in 2018, writing on X, “Who said facts mattered?”
Donald Trump demands Omar’s resignation
The resurfacing of this fake quote coincides with renewed political pressure on the lawmaker. President Donald Trump recently called for Omar’s resignation following a federal court filing that pointed to her past documentation, listing her legal name as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.”
“It was just revealed just a little while ago that … her name is not Ilhan Omar, the one that she used to get elected and sworn into Congress,” Trump stated during an October campaign rally. “She used a fake name to be sworn in. I assume she must immediately have to resign from Congress.”