Context:

Trump amplified his assault on two Muslim Democratic lawmakers after the State of the Union, suggesting in a social-media post that Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib should be “sent back from where they came.” The episode followed their pointed heckling during the address, with Trump deriding them as “low IQ” and urging removal, while Omar and Tlaib pushed back on immigration policy and other claims. The spectacle prompted swift Republican condemnation of the disruptions and highlighted ongoing tensions over immigration rhetoric. The episode signals a continuing dynamic in which inflammatory rhetoric and partisan backlash shape the party's messaging and responses to policy debates. Momentum or public reception remains uncertain as the rhetoric intensifies ahead of potential electoral mobilization.

Dive Deeper:

• On Feb. 25, 2026, Trump escalated rhetoric toward Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), posting that they should be institutionalized and suggesting they be sent back to where they came from.

• The remarks followed Omar and Tlaib's heckling of Trump during his State of the Union address, where they sat together and challenged the president multiple times.

• Trump labeled Omar as having the 'bulging, bloodshot eyes of crazy people' and described them as 'LUNATICS, mentally deranged and sick' in a Truth Social post, while repeating a broader critique of their loyalty and fitness for office.

• Omar, a refugee from Somalia, and Tlaib, a Detroit-born citizen, were singled out despite their long-standing status as elected lawmakers, prompting renewed discussion about citizenship and national origin in political discourse.

• During the speech, Tlaib accused Trump of 'killing Americans' amid discussions of immigration enforcement, and Omar countered with allegations of misinformation about welfare and Somali immigrants.

• Tlaib and Omar also jeered when Trump claimed to have ended eight wars, a claim some outlets have disputed, and they pressed for more transparency on files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

• Republicans publicly denounced the disruptions, with House Speaker Mike Johnson calling the behavior 'absolutely shameful,' and a Trump War Room post amplifying anti-immigrant rhetoric was later deleted.