Rep. Ilhan Omar is drawing more attention to herself (no big surprise) after her guest was escorted from the House chamber during Tuesday night’s State of the Union Address.
The lawmaker’s companion, Aliya Rahman, a U.S. citizen and longtime activist, was taken into custody inside the House while President Donald J. Trump spoke. Rahman previously made headlines earlier this year in Minnesota when federal authorities forcibly removed her from her car after she reportedly refused lawful orders to move and was obstructing traffic. Rahman has a history of political activism and has been involved in protests, public demonstrations and run-ins with the law.
Rahman told Democracy Now! that she was escorted out of the Capitol by the Sergeant‑at‑Arms while Trump was speaking. According to her, the official told her she was being removed “because I was standing up silently — no buttons, no facial expressions, no gestures, no signs, not one sound. Standing up.” Rahman also says she was hospitalized after the incident.
Unleashing fury in an official statement, Omar blasted law enforcement for what she called “aggressive” treatment.
“Reports indicate she was aggressively handled until someone intervened to secure medical attention. She was taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment and later booked at the United States Capitol Police headquarters,” Omar declared, labeling the removal of Rahman as “heavy‑handed” and demanding “a full explanation of why this arrest occurred.”
Omar herself didn’t stay for the entirety of the president’s speech — she chose to leave early. Before that, she and fellow progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib heckled the president as he used his podium to call out “illegal aliens.”
And President Trump didn’t hold back his own response on Wednesday, issuing a blunt remark about the two freshman lawmakers — saying both “should be sent back from where they came,” despite the fact that each is a U.S. citizen.
