Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-04) denounced President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Minneapolis as “racist” during a House floor speech last week.
McCollum was granted a minute of speaking time to make a statement about President Trump’s visit to her home state.
“Last week, President Trump held a rally in the Twin Cities where once again immigrants and refugees were demonized,” McCollum began her remarks. “This time it was the Somali and East African communities who call Minnesota home that were attacked. We should call those attacks on those who have come to the United States seeking a better life for what they are—racist and wrong.”
“Since the rally, members of the Somali community have come forward publicly to share their fear of being targeted, fear to go to work, fear to go to school, fear to gather socially in public,” she continued. “Minnesota has a long and proud history of welcoming refugees. Minnesotans will always stand up for our values and our neighbors.”
She concluded her statement by extending a message to her Somali and East African constituents.
“My message is clear: you are welcome in Minnesota. You are an important part of the fabric of our community and the contributions you make to the state we all love makes Minnesota stronger,” she concluded. “Your friends and neighbors stand with you and together we will continue to defend our long and proud history of welcoming refugees.”
I spoke on the House Floor today against Pres. Trump’s recent rally & racist attacks on MN’s Somali community. My message to my Somali constituents & neighbors is clear: You are welcome in Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/DGTUpxE7Vw
— Rep. Betty McCollum (@BettyMcCollum04) October 16, 2019
During his Minneapolis rally, President Trump addressed the topic of refugee resettlement, vowing to “give local communities greater say in refugee resettlement.”
“In the Trump administration we will always protect American families first and that has not been done in Minnesota,” he said. “We are keeping terrorists, criminals, and extremists the hell out of our country. You should be able to decide what is best for your own cities and your own neighborhoods.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Betty McCollum” by Betty McCollum.
Many of the Somali refugees in Minnesota only hurt their own people. The City of Minneapolis is putting up $1 million dollars to fence and secure the area in Riverside, where most have settled. This is because the Somali youth are robbing and hurting their own elders with the gangs they have formed. Trump was not being racist, he was telling the truth. They come to Minnesota because of our huge welfare we give to anyone who arrives in this State. McCollum is another Democrat who does anything to condemn our President.
Islam is incompatible with Western civilization. Sharia law is a totalitarian administrative night mare. We have the right to insist on assimilation to our mores and laws. If you follow Sharia, please leave.
What are immigrants contributing to the state? I don’t know of any. They have made MN the number one state for sex trafficking and want what they had in the country they came from, this is the United States of America and Sharia law does not apply here. Go home!
I am really curious about what she considers racist about calling out criminals. It is a proven fact that numerous members of the Somali neighborhood have committed crimes. An estimated million dollars of taxpayer money was funneled to terrorist groups in Somalia. There have also been a large number “refugees” from Somalia that have gone back to fight for those same terrorists,