Trump's attacks on Ilhan Omar highlight concerns about normalisation of racism in US politics

Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump once again singled out Ilhan Omar, a naturalised US citizen who has represented Minnesota in Congress since 2019. Asked whether the Congresswoman could face deportation over questions concerning her immigration records, Trump replied that she could also face imprisonment. “I think she's a sick, a very dishonest person, but who hates our country. And she comes from a country that is essentially not even a country, Somalia. It's a real shithouse,” Trump said. He went on to question Omar's understanding of constitutional rights and suggested that Somali immigrants had damaged Minnesota, the state she represents.