Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama directly targeted Rep. Ilhan Omar during remarks at a hearing with House members associated with the Sharia Free America Caucus, questioning her place in the United States and accusing her of embracing values he said are incompatible with American culture. “If people like Ilhan Omar love this way of life back home, why don’t you just move the hell back? This is our country,” Tuberville said.
“If people like Ilhan Omar love this way of life back home, why don’t you just move the hell back? This is our country” pic.twitter.com/YcnkHqfDn0
— American Gazzete (@AmericanGazzete) February 7, 2026
Throughout his remarks, Tuberville repeatedly asserted that radical Islam should be viewed as a political movement rather than a religion, describing it as an organization run by terrorists. He claimed Islamic extremism is infiltrating the United States and refusing to assimilate, alleging that some extremists have openly stated their intention to destroy the country and kill Americans. Tuberville said these views are not hidden and accused leaders and institutions of failing to confront them.
Tuberville drew a distinction between Muslims who he said want to assimilate into American society and those he accused of adhering to Sharia law. He said Muslims who reject Sharia law and seek to integrate into American culture are welcome, while criticizing what he described as policy decisions in states such as Michigan, Minnesota, and New Jersey that he said replace American civic norms with radical Islamic practices. He pointed to Minneapolis allowing amplified Islamic calls to prayer year-round as an example, arguing that the move was intended to assert influence and visibility.
His criticism escalated when he referenced Rep. Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, who was born in Somalia and arrived in the United States as a refugee. Tuberville accused her and others like her of favoring a way of life he said runs counter to American values, questioning why they remain in the country if they support different systems abroad. He framed the issue as one of national ownership, emphasizing that the United States was built over generations and should not be transformed into what he described as a “third-world country.”
Tuberville also raised broader claims about immigration, asserting that the Muslim population in the United States is growing and linking that trend to cultural and security concerns. He referenced allegations of large-scale fraud involving Somali immigrants and warned that continued immigration from what he called “third-world” countries threatens the American way of life. He argued that Islamic extremism is fundamentally incompatible with American values and accused its adherents of seeking to impose those beliefs through coercion and violence.
The senator’s remarks echoed recent comments made by President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Omar in public speeches. During an appearance at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump referred to Omar as a “total scam artist” and described Somalia in harsh terms while questioning her authority to speak on the U.S. Constitution.
Trump: Ilhan Omar… she comes here and tells us about our constitution. I have a constitutional right to rip off the country. She is a total scam artist. AOC plus three. She was one of the three. They are all scammers. They are so bad for our country. pic.twitter.com/Pl3fEjQlad
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 13, 2026
Trump’s Detroit speech, which largely focused on economic issues such as inflation, tariffs, and GDP growth, included broader attacks on immigration and naturalized citizens accused of fraud. He suggested revoking citizenship for immigrants convicted of defrauding Americans and referenced Somali communities in states such as Minnesota and Maine. The remarks came amid ongoing political debates over immigration enforcement and scrutiny of a high-profile welfare fraud scandal in Minnesota involving childcare programs, which has been cited by some Republicans in discussions about Somali immigrant communities.
Tuberville concluded his remarks by crediting Trump with prioritizing efforts to restrict both illegal and legal immigration and urged supporters to speak out forcefully, saying the country owes it to past generations and future ones to act now to preserve American culture and identity.
