Somali Republican disappointed by Trump's comments
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Salman Fiqy, shown here in the light blue shirt behind Donald Trump, is disappointed by the president's recent comments. Photo: Courtesy of CSPAN
Sixteen months after standing behind Donald Trump at a campaign rally in St. Cloud, Salman Fiqy is disappointed by the president's comments calling Somalis "garbage" that he doesn't want in the country.
What they're saying: "It's subjecting the whole community to violence," said Fiqy, a Somali small business owner in Burnsville who ran for state representative as a Republican in 2024.
Why it matters: Democrats lost some Somali support in the 2024 election and Fiqy had hoped that Minnesota Republicans could continue to bring more of them into their fold as they share some of the party's conservative beliefs.
- "Everything came crashing down after these attacks," Fiqy said on Wednesday.
Reality check: While Kamala Harris did lose some support in East African precincts in 2024, she still garnered around 80% of the vote in those areas, the Star Tribune reported after the election.
Between the lines: Asked if he should have seen this coming, given the things Trump said about immigrants in his first term, Fiqy noted that Hispanics and African Americans had also been vilified by Trump and increased their support for him in 2024 due to issues like inflation, education and the economy.
- "We were giving him the benefit of the doubt," he said. "The alternative (Kamala Harris) was even worse."
The latest: Fiqy said he's also disappointed that statewide Republican leaders aren't condemning Trump's comments. U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer went on Fox News on Wednesday and claimed that Somalis were committing 80% of the crime in the Twin Cities and Minnesota.
- "I would like to send a message to the Minnesota GOP: Stand up and have a spine and talk about this issue because a lot of ... their constituents are going to be affected by this and they have to stand up and show sympathy to the Somali community."
- A spokesperson for Emmer said the congressman was referring to the number of people of Somali descent charged by the Department of Justice for fraudulent crimes.
What's next: Fiqy said he had been considering a run for state senate in Burnsville, but has decided against it in light of Trump's remarks.
- "There's no way I can go to my Somali community and say I'm running as a Republican."