Trump targets lawmakers Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib after State of the Union stir

US President Donald Trump ignited fresh controversy after declaring that Democratic Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib should be sent “back from where they came from”, following their vocal protest during his State of the Union address, the Al Jazeera reported.

The dramatic exchange unfolded on Tuesday night as Trump, basking in the ceremonial grandeur of the annual address to Congress, extolled his administration’s hardline immigration policies. Amid applause from his supporters, a small group of Democratic lawmakers rose in dissent.

Among them were Tlaib — the first woman of Palestinian descent elected to the US Congress — and Omar, a Somali American lawmaker representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. As Trump called for an end to so-called “sanctuary cities” that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, the two lawmakers shouted back: “You have killed Americans!”

Their protest pierced the carefully choreographed spectacle of the nearly two-hour speech.

The following evening, Trump took to his Truth Social platform with a blistering response. In a lengthy post, he accused the two Muslim lawmakers of behaving like “crooked and corrupt politicians” and described their protest in inflammatory terms.

“When you watch Low IQ Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib… at the very elegant State of the Union, such an important and beautiful event,” Trump wrote, “they had the bulging, bloodshot eyes of crazy people… LUNATICS, mentally deranged and sick”.

He went on to say, “We should send them back from where they came — as fast as possible,” adding that they “can only damage the United States of America.”

Omar responded defiantly on social media. “I said what I said,” she wrote, explaining that she had sought to hold Trump accountable for what she described as deadly consequences of his administration’s immigration enforcement actions.

In January, two US citizens were killed by federal officers in Minnesota while protesting immigration raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Omar has frequently criticised the administration’s crackdown, particularly as it affects Minnesota’s Somali American community — a group Trump has repeatedly targeted in past remarks.

Tlaib, meanwhile, responded with biting sarcasm. “Can’t take two Muslimas talking back and correcting him so now he is crashing out,” she wrote, adding the hashtag “#PresidentMajnoon”. The Arabic word “majnoon” translates roughly to “mad” or “fanatical”.

The confrontation was part of a broader wave of dissent during Trump’s address. Democratic Representative Al Green was escorted from the House chamber after holding up a sign that read “Black people aren’t apes,” referencing a racist video of former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama that Trump had previously shared online.

Though other Democrats, including Representative Sarah McBride, were also reported to have protested, Trump’s post singled out Omar and Tlaib — both women of colour and outspoken critics of his administration.

The episode marks the latest chapter in an acrimonious relationship between the president and the two lawmakers, reflecting the deep partisan and cultural divides that continue to shape American political life.