President Donald Trump ignited widespread criticism on Wednesday, February 26, 2026, after asserting that two Muslim congresswomen should be “sent back from where they came” following a tense exchange during his State of the Union address.
His heated remarks were aimed at Representatives Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who shouted objections during Trump’s nearly two-hour speech as he promoted his administration’s immigration enforcement record.
In a harsh Truth Social post, Trump criticized the two Democratic congresswomen, calling them “Low IQ” and alleging they “had the bulging, bloodshot eyes of crazy people, LUNATICS, mentally deranged and sick who, frankly, look like they should be institutionalized.”
He added: “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.”
The dispute erupted Tuesday evening when Trump praised his administration’s actions against “sanctuary cities.” Omar and Tlaib, sitting beside one another, shouted “You have killed Americans!” — referring to two Minnesotans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by federal officers in January during Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Omar, who represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, later defended her outburst, saying she “had to remind Trump that his administration was responsible for killing two of my constituents.” Tlaib, wearing a pin that read “F–k ICE,” replied to Trump’s deportation remarks with her own sharp message online: “#PresidentMajnoon” — an Arabic word meaning “mad” or “possessed.”
Trump’s comments are especially notable because both women are U.S. citizens. Omar, a Somali American, was born in Somalia but arrived in 1995 as a refugee and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. Tlaib, a Palestinian American and the first woman of Palestinian heritage in Congress, was born in Detroit and has been a citizen since birth.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries denounced Trump’s statements as “xenophobic” and “disgraceful.” The Council on American-Islamic Relations also condemned the rhetoric, with national deputy director Edward Ahmed Mitchell calling it “racist and bigoted to say two Muslim U.S. lawmakers should be sent to the country they were born in.”
The Tuesday night incident was not the only tense moment during the State of the Union. Democratic Representative Al Green was escorted from the House floor for holding a sign stating “Black people aren’t apes” — referencing a racist video involving former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama that Trump recently shared on Truth Social.
Adding further controversy, Omar stated Wednesday that her guest at the State of the Union, 43-year-old Aliya Rahman, was removed by officers and charged with unlawful conduct for standing silently in the gallery during parts of Trump’s speech. Rahman, a U.S. citizen with disabilities who was detained by immigration officers in Minnesota last month, suffered shoulder injuries during that earlier incident.
Omar said Rahman was “forcibly removed, despite warning officers about her injured shoulders.” Capitol Police stated that Rahman did not comply with orders to sit, adding that “all State of the Union tickets clearly explain that demonstrating is prohibited.” Rahman was taken to George Washington University Hospital before being processed at Capitol Police headquarters.
The episode comes amid Trump’s broad immigration crackdown, which has faced widespread criticism. At least eight people have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since early 2026, following 31 ICE detention deaths last year — the highest annual number in more than twenty years.
During his address, Trump again accused Somali communities in the U.S. of committing fraud, alleging that “Somali pirates” had plundered Minnesota. His administration has stationed armed federal immigration agents in the state based on these fraud allegations.
This is not the first time Trump has told Omar and other minority lawmakers to “go back where they came from.” At a December rally in Pennsylvania, he claimed Omar “does nothing but ****” and led the audience in chanting “Send her back.” During a Cabinet meeting that same month, Trump called Omar “garbage” and said Somalis should “go back to where they came from.”
