President Donald Trump drew a fresh backlash over immigration and race after saying Somali immigrants are "not smart" and have "no aptitude" during remarks in the Oval Office, extending a series of attacks on Somalia and its diaspora as the White House sharpens its political message ahead of the midterm elections.
Trump made the comments while answering questions about the elections and warning that "jihadists" were being elected in the U.S. He didn't identify the candidates he was referring to or provide evidence for the claim before turning his attention to immigrants from Somalia.
"They come from countries that are not great... They're not smart. They have no aptitude. They have nothing going," Trump said, according to reports of the Oval Office exchange.
The remarks quickly circulated on X and Reddit, where critics accused Trump of stereotyping an entire nationality based on intelligence and ability. One widely shared post said, "Until Trump, no GOP president would just openly racially stereotype people like this... Now, Trump has lowered the bar to Klandom." Another asked, "How is this racism not front page news?"
The episode adds to scrutiny of Trump's rhetoric toward Somali immigrants, a community that has become increasingly prominent in American politics, particularly in Minnesota. More than 100,000 people of Somali descent live in the state, according to the supplied reporting, making it home to the country's largest Somali diaspora.
Trump has repeatedly singled out Somalis during his second term. At a cabinet meeting in December, he called Somali immigrants "garbage" and said they should be sent "back to where they came from." At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, Trump described Somalia as having "no government" and referred to Somalis living in the U.S. as "low-IQ."
The latest remarks triggered criticism from Democrats and Somali community advocates, who characterized Trump's language as xenophobic and warned that repeated attacks from the president could increase hostility toward immigrant communities. Republican reaction was more limited, according to the supplied reporting, with few party officials publicly challenging Trump over the comments.
The criticism also spread beyond the U.S. In Mogadishu, residents quoted in reports rejected Trump's characterization of Somalis. "His derogatory statements about us will ultimately harm his own nation... we no longer respect him," one resident said.
Trump's reference to "jihadists" being elected "all over the place" comes as Republicans increasingly focus on Muslim and immigrant candidates in their midterm messaging. Recent political attention has included Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, though Trump didn't identify El-Sayed or any other candidate while making the Oval Office remarks.
The controversy revives a familiar dispute over Trump's use of broad characterizations of national and ethnic groups. He has previously faced condemnation for describing certain nations as "shithole countries" and for language targeting immigrants from other parts of the world.
For Trump's critics, the distinction in the latest episode is the explicit characterization of Somalis as lacking intelligence and aptitude. Civil-rights advocates and Democrats argue that such language moves beyond criticism of immigration policy and instead assigns negative characteristics to people based on their national origin.
The White House hadn't provided a clarification in the supplied reporting, and there was no indication that Trump planned to retract the remarks. There was also no formal congressional censure reported in response to the episode.
