Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota used a nationally televised interview this week to deliver one of her sharpest critiques yet of President Trump, calling him “embarrassing on a national stage” while also reflecting on the threats she faces as one of the most visible progressive voices in Congress.

“Xenophobic and Bigoted”

Speaking with ABC, Omar was asked about a range of topics—from the war in Gaza to Trump’s repeated personal attacks on her and her home country of Somalia. She didn’t hold back. “It is disgusting for the president of the United States to disparage a country that we have devoted so much energy to help stabilize,” Omar said, after Trump recently referred to Somalia as plagued by poverty and terrorism. “But it’s also important to recognize just how wrong, how xenophobic and bigoted it is for the president to join the online trolls in saying that I should be sent back to where I came from.”

The United States is Being Left Behind

Omar’s comments come at a moment when the United States finds itself increasingly isolated in its approach to Israel and Palestine. She noted that France and a dozen other countries recently recognized Palestinian statehood, adding that nearly three-quarters of United Nations member states have already done so. The U.S., she argued, risks being left behind. “It is important for the United States to engage in a process that leads to recognition,” she said. “We should be doing everything we can to end the genocide taking place in Gaza, to allow humanitarian access, and to finally resolve this decades-long conflict.”

Not The Brightest

But it was her remarks about Trump that stood out most. Omar described the president as unfit to lead, citing his misunderstanding of basic government processes and his penchant for spreading falsehoods. “Our president is embarrassing on a national stage,” she said. “You’ve seen him call for my impeachment without understanding members of Congress can’t be impeached. You’ve seen the chaotic way he’s led the country. You’ve seen him lie about tariffs, not understanding they are a hidden tax on Americans. We are not being led by the brightest of our nation.”

Rep. Omar Says She’s Receiving More Death Threats Than Ever

Omar said there is a direct correlation between Trump’s rhetoric and the threats she receives. “During his first administration, I had one of the highest numbers of death threats for a member of Congress,” she explained. “It was because the president couldn’t stop invoking his xenophobia and bigotry—not just toward me, but toward every identity I represent.” By contrast, she noted, the threats subsided under President Biden, only to spike again when Trump returned to office. “As soon as he was sworn in, we were swamped with death threats and bigotry in our office and across almost every social media platform,” Omar said.

The World Is Watching

The interview closed with a question about the looming government shutdown. Omar emphasized that responsibility lies with Republicans, who currently control the House, Senate, and White House. “So far they are refusing to negotiate,” she said, warning that the impasse could have real consequences for everyday Americans. For Omar, though, the bigger picture remains Trump himself—a president she portrays as reckless, unsteady, and fundamentally unserious. “He’s embarrassing the country,” she said, “and the world is watching.”