Donald Trump’s recent comments about Somalia and its people have sparked widespread outrage across the country, though some locals suggested the U.S. president’s words contained an uncomfortable truth.
During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump referred to Somalis as “garbage” and claimed, “we don’t want them in our country,” adding that they “just run around killing each other” and that “their country stinks.” The remarks follow a pattern of racially and culturally insensitive language from the former U.S. president.
Abdisalan Omar, a Somali elder, expressed his shock at the statements, emphasizing the global responsibility to respond. “Presidents who speak in such a way cannot serve the U.S. and the world,” he said.
Trump’s comments coincided with heightened scrutiny of Somali immigrants in the U.S. following the recent shooting of two National Guard troops in Washington. He had proposed freezing migration from “third-world countries,” though an Afghan national has been charged with the incident.
Locals in Mogadishu criticized Trump’s language as crude and unacceptable. Bule Ismail, a construction worker, stated, “In our culture, we do not use abusive language. The U.S. should first respond to Trump’s behavior and consider a mental health evaluation.”
Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre addressed the matter more diplomatically, noting that Trump had insulted several countries, including Nigeria and South Africa. “There are things that do not need comment… it is better to ignore than to make his words look like an issue,” he said.
Trump’s previous attacks have also targeted Somali communities in Minnesota, where he claimed without evidence that “Somali gangs” were terrorizing the state. Local officials refuted this portrayal.
While many Somalis condemned the remarks, some interpreted them as a harsh critique of Somalia’s governance. Samira Abdullahi, a Mogadishu resident whose property was expropriated, said, “Trump said the truth but in unpleasant words. We have no government. Al Shabaab is looting and bombing all Somalis.”
The comments have reignited discussions about Somalia’s ongoing struggles with violence, poverty, and the persistent threat of the militant group al Shabaab, which has sought to destabilize the country for nearly two decades.
