Why Does Trump Target the Somali Community in America?

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If you want to understand American politics today, do not start from Washington, but from the suburbs; from states that at first glance seem far from the center of decision-making, but in reality represent the heart of the coming conflict.

On November 21, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump chose to launch a harsh attack on the Somali community in the state of Minnesota, using exclusionary and defamatory language that many considered an irresponsible speech unbefitting a head of state, carrying direct risks to the safety of the Muslim community in the United States.

This speech included collective accusations without evidence of sending money to "extremist groups," and inhumane descriptions using insulting terms such as "scum," in addition to questioning their full belonging to American society. This was not just a passing speech but a calculated episode in a political campaign.

This attack did not come out of nowhere. The world today is going through a turbulent phase reminiscent in many ways of the period before World War II: multiple conflict hotspots ranging from the Russian-Ukrainian war, escalating tensions between China and Taiwan, to the chronic hostility between Pakistan and India, both nuclear powers, as well as open wars in the Middle East.

Added to this is the rising tension in Latin America, including the Venezuela crisis, and the sanctions and economic pressures imposed by Washington on a country that possesses one of the largest reserves of oil, gas, and rare minerals in the world, within a geopolitical space long considered by the United States as a vital sphere of influence.

These transformations reflect deep cracks in the international system, sharp polarization within major democracies themselves, alongside escalating economic warfare and tariffs. When the outside shakes, the inside reveals its fragility. The United States is no exception to this rule.

The Somali community holds clear and tangible weight; about 29 elected officials of Somali origin hold various positions at municipal, educational, and legislative levels in Minnesota, in addition to two city mayors, and a member of the federal Congress, Representative Ilhan Omar.

Inside the U.S., there are four major crises heavily pressuring the White House.

In this case, passing the political agenda for the remainder of his second presidential term becomes extremely difficult, and matters may go beyond legislative obstruction to opening a political-legal path to withdraw confidence through impeachment proceedings, plunging him into a spiral of judicial confrontations that effectively restrict his ability to govern.

Added to this is a noticeable decline in the popularity of the U.S. president, alongside sharp divisions within his political camp, confirmed by the latest opinion polls. These declines intersect with increasing fractures within the Republican Party itself, especially between the traditional current and the hard-right wing associated with the "MAGA" movement, which is the most loyal base to the president but also the most impulsive and escalatory.

The failure to fully and transparently release the Epstein files has deepened public suspicions and gave a strong boost to cover-up narratives, increasing the climate of distrust not only in the administration but in the broader political and institutional system.

In this context, changing the subject and redirecting public opinion, especially within the president's camp and electoral base, becomes a familiar political tool. It is an attempt based on playing the card of white racial identity, manufacturing fears, creating a state of artificial panic, targeting minorities, and exploiting Islamophobia as fuel in a highly polarized political season.

Here, the policy of "searching for an internal enemy" becomes a traditional but still effective tool in moments of political confusion. The attack on the Somali community serves two clear objectives:

Added to this is the effect of nominating the state governor, Tim Walz, for the vice-presidential position alongside Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and the political repercussions that followed those elections.

This path reflected, especially in light of the presidential loss, on the nature of the relationship between the state and the federal government, and on the level of political and practical support directed to Minnesota, turning it into an additional burden on the state in general and on the Somali community in particular, in a more polarized and sensitive political climate.

This comes within a broader political context characterized by the shrinking of the middle ground and a sharp rise in confrontation between the populist right wing within the Republican Party on one side, and the liberal and progressive left currents within the Democratic Party on the other, as reflected in notable electoral shifts in major American cities, including the election of a progressive candidate, Zehran Mamdani, as mayor of New York City.

Amid this sharp polarization, traditional pragmatic centrist currents, or what are known as the "hawks" and "doves" wings within both parties, tend to take a spectator or marginalized position, after their ability to influence and make decisions declined in favor of a harsher and less flexible discourse.

It is important here to understand who this community is, away from populist rhetoric and reductive descriptions. The Somali community in Minnesota is estimated at about 105,000 people, while estimates indicate about 300,000 people of Somali origin across the United States, making it one of the most organized and politically present communities in the country.

This community belongs to a country with a unique political experience based on a federal system and institutional pluralism, which clearly reflected on its political awareness and electoral behavior in the diaspora. Contrary to the prevailing stereotype, Somalis are characterized by a strong culture of entrepreneurship, trade, and striving for financial independence, alongside their growing presence in medical, educational, and service professions.

Politically, the Somali community holds clear and tangible weight; about 29 elected officials of Somali origin hold various positions at municipal, educational, and legislative levels in Minnesota, in addition to two city mayors, and a member of the federal Congress, Representative Ilhan Omar. Additionally, thousands of Somali Americans serve in police and civil defense agencies, political parties, and health and educational institutions.

This is not a community standing on the margins of the state or outside its general context, but an active component of the American social and functional fabric, enjoying a growing professional, economic, and political presence, and has contributed over past decades to establishing a successful model of integration while preserving cultural specificity.

Here lies the deep paradox: a successful and rising community, belonging to an ancient nation with pride and dignity, politically and economically integrated, whose success and integration—rather than being a source of protection—become a direct reason for targeting. Its success confuses, its organization worries, and its electoral weight makes it an attractive opponent in political campaign seasons.

Therefore, it was not surprising that for two consecutive weeks it became a global "trend" and attracted the attention of the president of the world's most powerful country; not because it represents a real security threat, but because it is an easy political card to play in a highly polarized climate, where identities and symbols are invested in more than programs and facts are discussed.

In the end, this story does not concern the Somali community alone but touches the core of the American political and legal system itself. It is a new test for American democracy: Can it maintain the rule of law and the system of rights and civil liberties that have distinguished the United States for decades? Does it have the ability to distinguish between the requirements of real security and the temptations of populist politics? Does it protect its citizens from generalization and exclusion, or does it allow minorities to become scapegoats for governance failures?

What is happening in Minnesota today, in a striking paradox, has not weakened the Somali community but made it more organized, influential, and cohesive; "Perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you." This may be an indicator of what could be repeated elsewhere tomorrow. History, as it teaches us, does not forgive those who repeat their mistakes thinking they are immune to its lessons, as moments of short-term targeting often turn into sources of long-term strength.