Trump says Muslim lawmakers Omar, Tlaib should be deported

WASHINGTON,— U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday escalated his criticism of two Muslim Democratic members of Congress, Representatives Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, suggesting they should be “institutionalized” and sent back “where they came from.”

His remarks came a day after the lawmakers had a tense confrontation with him during his State of the Union address.

During Tuesday’s speech, Tlaib, a Palestinian American, and Omar, a Somali American, challenged Trump over his administration’s immigration policies. Both lawmakers shouted at Trump, accusing him of endangering American lives, with Omar additionally calling him a “liar.”

In a post on his Truth Social account Wednesday, Trump wrote that the two women “had the bulging, bloodshot eyes of crazy people, LUNATICS, mentally deranged and sick who, frankly, look like they should be institutionalized.”

He added, “We should send them back from where they came , as fast as possible.” Both lawmakers are U.S. citizens.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized Trump’s remarks, calling them “xenophobic” and “disgraceful.” Tlaib responded on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, saying the comments reflected a president “crashing out.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim advocacy group, condemned the comments as racist.

Edward Ahmed Mitchell, CAIR’s National Deputy Director, said it was “racist and bigoted to say two Muslim U.S. lawmakers should be sent to the country they were born in or where their ancestors came from based on their criticism of the gunning down of Americans by ICE.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump last week, asserting that the media had unfairly portrayed him as a racist.

Trump’s immigration enforcement policies have faced scrutiny after two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minnesota in January.

Since the start of 2026, at least eight people have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers, following 31 deaths last year.

In his address, Trump accused Somali communities in the United States of engaging in fraud and claimed “Somali pirates” had attacked Minnesota.

His administration has cited fraud allegations to justify sending armed federal immigration agents to the state, framing the actions as part of efforts to combat fraud and strengthen domestic security.

Rights groups argue that the crackdown has created fear among immigrant communities and that Trump has used isolated cases of fraud as justification to target them.

Critics also point out that his past pardons for individuals convicted of fraud cast doubt on his ability to tackle the problem effectively.

Trump recently faced additional backlash after a video posted on his social media account included a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Observers say that Islam and Muslim migration have become global issues, particularly in Europe, and they recommend that governments take measures to address them. Most residents in Western countries have also expressed frustration with the presence of Muslim communities living within Western culture.

(With files from Reuters)