Rep. Bryant Bailey Condemns President Trump's Attacks on Somali Community, Calls for Leadership That Protects All People

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Ashley Bryant Bailey (D-Cincinnati) today issued the following statement condemning President Donald Trump's recent racist and inflammatory comments attacking the Somali community.

Trump's comments this week targeted Somali immigrants, claiming they had "destroyed" Minnesota and "our country," and directing additional inflammatory attacks at Somali-born Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. His remarks coincided with an enforcement push by his administration and continued a yearslong pattern of using immigrant communities, especially Black, Muslim, and African-born Americans, as political targets.

"President Trump's latest attacks on the Somali community are not only reckless, they are dangerous. They reflect a pattern of racism and xenophobia that has only intensified under his administration, and his words put real people at risk. Here in Ohio, our Somali community is a source of strength," said Rep. Bryant Bailey. "They are business owners, students, essential workers, community leaders, and parents raising the next generation of Ohioans. They contribute to the economic, cultural, and civic heartbeat of our state. They deserve respect and protection, not to be demonized by the President of the United States."

Rep. Bryant Bailey emphasized that Trump's rhetoric is not simply an attack on one community, but on core American values themselves.

"When President Trump targets Somali Americans, he is attacking the very idea of America. A nation that belongs to all of us, no matter where we come from or how we arrived," continued Rep. Bryant Bailey. “This is part of a broader effort to divide Americans, scapegoat immigrants, and normalize cruelty as public policy. Ohioans see through it, and I stand in direct opposition to it."

She added that immigrant and refugee communities deserve leaders who defend their rights and dignity, not leaders who weaponize fear for political gain.

“As a state representative, as a mother, and as someone who believes in a democracy that includes everyone, I stand firmly with our Somali neighbors,” concluded Rep. Bryant Bailey. “I will continue to fight for policies that protect immigrant and refugee communities, and I will use every platform available to condemn rhetoric that fuels hate and violence. I am proud to represent a district and a state where our diversity is our strength."

Rep. Bryant Bailey urges Ohioans to support Somali community members and reject the politics of division.