Elon Musk ignited a political firestorm early Wednesday morning, suggesting that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) may have committed treason after a resurfaced 2024 speech circulated online in which she allegedly promised Somali constituents she would “protect the interests of Somalia from inside the U.S. system.”

Just after midnight, Musk posted a clip of the translated remarks with a blunt caption:

“This sounds like treason.”

Musk — who once headed the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) before resigning in May — has grown increasingly vocal about national loyalty, immigration, and foreign influence in U.S. politics. But this escalation marks his most explicit accusation yet against a sitting member of Congress.

And it comes mere hours after former President Donald Trump tore into Omar at a Pennsylvania rally, mocking her name, calling her origins “the worst country in the world,” and saying:

“We ought to get her the hell out!”

The crowd erupted, chanting “Send her back!”, reviving the infamous chorus from Trump’s 2019 attacks on the congresswoman.

THE VIDEO AT THE CENTER OF THE STORM

The now-viral clip — recorded on January 27, 2024 — shows Omar delivering remarks in Somali to a packed ballroom of Somali Americans in Minneapolis. According to the translation posted alongside the video, she told the crowd:

“Sleep in comfort, knowing I am here to protect the interests of Somalia from inside the U.S. system.”

“The U.S. government will only do what Somalians in the U.S. tell them to do. They must follow our orders.”

She also reportedly vowed that Ethiopia or “others” would never be allowed to seize Somalia’s territorial waters so long as she remained in Congress.

The translated remarks sparked horror among Republicans in early 2024, but the issue faded — until Musk elevated it back into mainstream attention.

REPUBLICAN BACKLASH: “A DIRECT VIOLATION OF HER OATH OF OFFICE”

The fury on the right is not new — but Musk’s amplification, combined with Trump’s attack, has placed Omar back at the center of the GOP’s ire.

Former House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) blasted Omar at the time of the speech:

“Ilhan Omar’s Somalia-first comments are a slap in the face to Minnesotans and a direct violation of her oath of office.”
“She should resign in disgrace.”

Other Republican lawmakers accused her of dual loyalty, foreign allegiance, and using her position in Congress to pursue geopolitical objectives unrelated to American interests.

And Musk’s use of the word treason — one of the most explosively loaded terms in U.S. political vocabulary — has taken the criticism to a new stratosphere.

OMAR’S RESPONSE: “XENOPHOBIC LIES” AND “A NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT”

Omar insists the translation is inaccurate, politically motivated, and rooted in what she calls “racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia.”

She told PolitiFact in 2024 that the viral subtitles badly distorted her meaning, claiming she merely expressed support for Somalia’s right to defend its land against foreign interference — a stance she argued was aligned with official U.S. policy.

On Tuesday night, following Trump’s latest tirade, Omar posted:

“Trump continues to be a national embarrassment.”
“His obsession with me is beyond weird. He needs serious help.”

She also noted that Trump turns to “bigoted lies” when he has “no economic policies to tout.”

Omar has not yet responded directly to Musk’s accusation of treason, though allies expect a forceful rebuttal.

MUSK’S ROLE: KINGMAKER, DISRUPTER, AND POLITICAL ACCELERANT

Musk’s social media endorsements — and condemnations — carry a unique gravity.
With over 190 million followers on X, a single provocative post can instantly explode into the political bloodstream. His “treason” remark generated millions of impressions within hours and quickly became the top trending U.S. political topic.

Musk has increasingly positioned himself as a guardian of American civic norms, repeatedly warning of threats from foreign espionage, ideological extremism, and political corruption. His willingness to call out Omar by name signals that he views her alleged remarks not as harmless rhetoric but as a direct challenge to U.S. sovereignty.

His critics, however, insist this is political agitprop — Musk amplifying GOP narratives to influence 2026 midterms.

Still, Musk’s framing matters. The “T-word,” even in the form of an opinion, carries a devastating public weight.

TRUMP POURS GASOLINE ON THE MOMENT

At his Pennsylvania rally, Trump escalated the rhetoric further, telling his audience:

“She comes in, does nothing but b**. She’s always complaining. She comes from her country… the worst country in the world.”**

He derided her hijab (“the little turban”), claimed she “does nothing for America,” and declared:

“We ought to get her the hell out.”

The resurfaced chant of “Send her back!” — echoing the 2019 incident that became a defining moment in Trump’s first presidency — underscores how Omar has reemerged as a central figure in Trump’s 2025–2026 political messaging.

The timing is noteworthy: Trump’s administration is currently under scrutiny for its handling of the Minnesota social services fraud scandal involving several Somali American defendants. Highlighting Omar reinforces his broader argument about immigrant loyalty and corruption.

THE DEEPER QUESTION: CAN A MEMBER OF CONGRESS EXPRESS AFFECTION FOR THEIR BIRTH COUNTRY?

Omar’s defenders argue:

Many lawmakers advocate for their ancestral homelands (Irish Americans, Cuban Americans, Jewish Americans, Armenian Americans).

Supporting Somalia’s territorial integrity is not evidence of disloyalty.

Translations of the video are being weaponized to distort her intent.

Her detractors respond:

The phrasing (if accurate) goes beyond cultural affinity into explicit allegiance.

Saying the U.S. “will do what Somalians tell them to do” is incompatible with the constitutional oath.

A member of Congress vowing to advance a foreign government’s interests from inside the U.S. system is inherently alarming.

Musk’s “treason” line distilled all of this into one viral punch.

THE STAKES: POLITICAL, LEGAL, AND CULTURAL

Treason — constitutionally — requires waging war against the U.S. or aiding its enemies. Omar’s remarks do not fit that definition.
But public perception isn’t governed by constitutional precision.

When the world’s richest man uses the word “treason,” he reframes the narrative, shifts the Overton window, and forces Democrats into defensive posture.

This controversy intersects with:

The presidential election cycle

Immigration and national identity debates

The Somalia fraud investigations in Minnesota

Trump’s “America First” revival

Musk’s own evolving role as a political influencer

And Omar, willingly or not, has become the lightning rod for all of it.

THE BOTTOM LINE: THE FIGHT IS JUST BEGINNING

Elon Musk didn’t accuse Omar of corruption.
He didn’t accuse her of incompetence.
He accused her of something far more incendiary:

Putting a foreign nation’s interests above America’s — and doing so from inside Congress.

Omar says it’s xenophobic distortion.
Trump says she should be deported.
Musk says it “sounds like treason.”

In a hyper-polarized 2025, that’s enough to set the stage for an election-year showdown that will test not just Omar’s political survival — but the nation’s fragile ability to separate rhetoric from rebellion.