Ilhan Omar Responds to $1B Minnesota COVID Benefits Fraud, Condemns Trump Remarks on Somalis

Overview

On Dec. 7, 2025, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D‑Minn.) appeared on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan to respond to allegations tying people connected to her campaign to a major COVID‑era welfare fraud investigation. The interview also addressed recent statements by President Donald Trump about Somalis, questions about a possible terrorism link, and federal immigration actions affecting people from Somalia and other countries.

Omar's Response to Treasury Allegations

Brennan asked Omar to respond to a claim by the U.S. Treasury that individuals tied to her campaign were involved in a widespread scheme to exploit Minnesota’s welfare system. Omar said she did not know the specific allegations and suggested the Treasury Secretary may not have a clear understanding of the facts.

She noted her campaign returned donations from people later implicated in the probe and emphasized that she had been among the first members of Congress to ask Minnesota authorities to investigate suspected fraud in the program.

The Fraud Investigation

The Justice Department has described the case as the largest COVID‑era fraud scheme in the nation, alleging more than $1 billion in illicitly obtained benefits. Prosecutors charged 87 people; according to reporting cited in the interview, all but eight of those charged are of Somali descent. Brennan and Omar discussed how the scope of the fraud has intensified scrutiny of Minnesota’s Somali community, which numbers roughly 80,000.

Omar: "We're also Minnesotans and taxpayers; we're upset and angry about the fraud that has occurred. We want to understand how oversight failed and where alarms could have been triggered."

Omar reiterated that she had written to the state Agriculture Department urging a review of oversight failures and said continued investigations and prosecutions should clarify how the scheme occurred and who is responsible.

Feeding Our Future And Early Defenses

Feeding Our Future, the nonprofit central to the controversy, initially argued the investigation was racially motivated. Omar pushed back, noting the program’s leader was a white woman who used racial rhetoric, in her view, to deflect scrutiny. She also noted that when funding was paused, the organization sued the state; Attorney General Keith Ellison defended the department, and a judge ordered that funds continue to be disbursed while legal proceedings moved forward.

Alleged Terrorism Link

House Republicans and the Treasury suggested investigators should explore whether stolen funds were diverted to terrorism. Omar said she was "pretty confident" such claims are unlikely given that many defendants have been prosecuted and sentenced, but she added that any credible evidence of links to terrorism should be pursued and prosecuted aggressively.

President Trump's Remarks And Immigration Actions

Brennan played remarks from a White House meeting in which President Trump disparaged Somalis, saying they "do nothing but complain" and urging they "go back to where they came from." Omar described the comments as "disgusting" and warned that dehumanizing rhetoric from the nation's highest office can inspire dangerous actions.

The interview also addressed recent immigration measures: the administration has restricted certain immigration processing — including asylum claims — for people from Somalia and 18 other countries. ICE has detained a small number of people in Minnesota; Omar said those detained in the state largely had prior removal orders and were individuals who had committed crimes and should already have been deported under earlier orders.

Context And Closing

Omar condemned the language used by Stephen Miller, an architect of the administration's immigration policy, calling his rhetoric "white supremacist" and comparing it to historical dehumanization of earlier immigrant groups. She emphasized that most Somali Minnesotans are U.S. citizens and insisted the community remains a productive part of the state and the nation.

The interview closed with Brennan thanking Congresswoman Omar for joining the program as investigations and political debate continue to unfold.