Capitol Hill’s culture war machine is back in overdrive—and this time, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar is firmly in the crosshairs.
Florida Republican Rep. Randy Fine is escalating his campaign against what he calls “dual loyalty” in Congress, zeroing in on Omar with a barrage of accusations and political rhetoric that’s guaranteed to light up the partisan fuse box.
Appearing on Benny Johnson’s podcast, Fine argued Omar “shouldn’t be in the United States at all,” tying her to a sprawling list of allegations that have circulated in conservative media circles for years but have not been proven in court.
“She’s a problem on so many levels,” Fine said, before launching into a sweeping critique that mixed immigration accusations, welfare fraud claims, and cultural loyalty concerns.
“You talk about the Somali loyalty. There’s the issue of immigration fraud, which is the real issue that we’re waiting on. There’s a belief by many, and the president has talked about it, that she married her brother in order to help bring him into the United States,” he claimed, echoing long-debunked online rumors that have followed Omar since her early congressional campaigns.
Fine also leaned into broader claims about Somali immigrants in Minnesota, alleging widespread welfare fraud and asserting that “more than 80% of Somalis that have come to the United States continue to be on our welfare programs.”
“And it appears that Ilhan Omar is tied up to her neck in all of that,” he added.
Those remarks come amid renewed scrutiny over Omar’s financial disclosures and her husband’s now-closed wine business, which critics have seized on as part of a broader narrative of ethical questions. Omar has previously faced repeated accusations from political opponents regarding her personal history and immigration status—claims she has consistently denied.
Fine also pointed to Omar’s refusal to provide certain documents requested by the Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee. That panel ultimately failed to issue a subpoena after Democratic lawmakers opposed the move.
“Someone who engaged in immigration fraud not only shouldn’t be in Congress, they shouldn’t be in the United States at all.”
The Florida congressman is also pushing legislation with a name that leaves little room for ambiguity: the “Disqualifying Dual Loyalty Act.” The bill would bar foreign nationals—or lawmakers with ties to other countries—from serving in Congress, a proposal Fine says is about safeguarding American governance from outside influence.
“The Ilhan Omars of the world, the Delia Ramirez of the world, the Jayapals of the world, all of them have ties to foreign countries, ties that may include citizenship. And I simply don’t think we should have that in the United States Congress,” he told Johnson.
He was referring to Illinois Rep. Delia Ramirez, who once described herself as “a proud Guatemalan before” being American, and Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a progressive lawmaker who has drawn criticism from conservatives for her immigration and foreign policy positions.
Fine’s bill has already picked up a roster of Republican co-sponsors, signaling growing GOP appetite for hardline restrictions on foreign ties in federal office.
President Donald Trump has also weighed in on Omar in the past, saying: “Ilhan Omar … comes here from Somalia, and she tells us how to run the United States of America. She says, she says, the Constitution gives me certain rights … and I demand that I be given these rights. Get the hell out. What a phony.”
