Donald Trump has continued his xenophobic attacks on Somali immigrants, telling reporters on Wednesday that “those Somalians should be out of here. They’ve destroyed our country” and that congresswoman Ilhan Omar should be “thrown the hell out”. The remarks came a day after he called Somali immigrants “garbage” and reports emerged that ICE agents would stage an operation in the Minneapolis-St Paul metro area primarily focused on Somalis with final deportation orders.
Local officials have stood with the community. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey said: “Somali Americans are Americans. Their nation is America. And we are proud to have these Americans in Minneapolis.” Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council described the president’s comments as “the kind of racism even Nixon kept to himself”.
Meanwhile, defence secretary Pete Hegseth faces mounting scrutiny over a September boat strike in the Caribbean Sea. The Pentagon reportedly knew there were survivors after the first attack but still carried out a follow-up strike. A Pentagon report also found his use of the Signal app violated policy. Democratic senator Mark Warner has called for his resignation, while Republican senator Lisa Murkowski reiterated she does not support him.
In other developments, the US Institute of Peace has been renamed the “Donald J Trump Institute of Peace” after the administration took over the independent organisation. Trump also pardoned entertainment executive Tim Leiweke, continuing a spate of pardons that recently included Texas Democrat Henry Cuellar and the ex-president of Honduras.
