State Rep. Ilhan Omar was the featured guest Thursday evening on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," where she told host Trevor Noah — and a national television audience — that she wants the president to come visit the Twin Cities' Somali community.
The DFLer from Minneapolis, in her first term, is the nation's first Somali-American legislator. During her appearance on the show, she spoke about coming to the United States after living in a refugee camp in Somalia and her decision to go into politics.
Omar said she wants Americans of all backgrounds to find more common ground and to take time to get to know each other. That goal extends to President Donald Trump, whom she said she has invited to visit Minneapolis to share a cup of Somali tea and conversation.
"I invited President Trump twice now to come meet my family and my community because he seems to have a lot of opinions about the kind of people we are," she said. "We shouldn't judge a book by its cover. We should at least take time to get to know them."
Omar posted about her trip to New York and her appearance on the show on social media. Before the show began, she posted a photo of herself and tweeted that she was "feeling humble and grateful to represent the people of MN-60B."
Once she settled into the guest chair, Omar snapped a selfie with Noah, who wondered out loud about her future plans.
"You are someone who is all too familiar with being a refugee," he said. "You're from Somalia, you're also a Muslim person, you're also a woman. You are everything that President Trump seems to be against, and you're in government. What's the plan?"
"I am America's hope and the president's nightmare," Omar replied.
Erin Golden • 612-673-4790
