Somali-born Mayor Nadia Mohamed of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, chose to spend Americas 250th Independence Day in Mogadishu rather than in the United States, and is now facing mounting criticism for that decision and for her dismissive response.
According to The Gateway Pundit, Mohamed, a political ally of Rep. Ilhan Omar, traveled to Somalia over the Fourth of July weekend, raising questions about her priorities as the elected leader of a midwestern American city. Alpha News reported that St. Louis Park Mayor Nadia Mohamed spent Americas 250th anniversary in Somalia rather than the United States, according to Somali news outlet Hiiraan Online.
Hiiraan Online stated that Mohamed arrived in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, on Friday, July 3, where she was greeted by Somali government officials in what appeared to be a formal reception. According to the news outlet, Mohamed arrived in Mogadishu, Somalias capital, on Friday, July 3 and was welcomed by Somali government officials. Photos of what appears to be the mayors arrival show a large welcoming party waving American and Somali flags.
The outlet further reported that Hiiraan Online also reported that Mohamed visited with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday, July 4 at the presidential palace in Mogadishu. Villa Somalia, the official office of the Somali presidency, shared a video of Mohamed arriving at the Presidential Palace, underscoring that this was no low-profile family visit but a high-visibility engagement with a foreign head of state.
Rather than address concerns about why an American mayor spent the nations semiquincentennial abroad, Mohamed released a smirking video on social media that mocked her critics. In the video, she offered what she called an apology, but her tone and language left little doubt she was ridiculing those who questioned her judgment.
Allow me to offer my sincerest apology for daring.for having the audacity.to take vacation time to go see family members I have not seen in 10 years, she said sarcastically in the video. She continued, Allow me to apologize for utilizing the federal holiday that we have, and the time off that we have to be able to go see my grandmothers in which I have not seen in 10 years.in which six of those years I have worked diligently to serve the good people of St. Louis Park.
I am so sorry, she went on, her voice dripping with derision. How inconsiderate of me! How treacherous is it treacherous? Treacherous of me!
Mohamed then boasted of her previous meetings with foreign leaders, suggesting that such encounters should not be controversial. You know, this isnt even the first time Ive met with a president of a foreign nation. If you must know, I also met with the president of Switzerland, the then-president of Switzerland, but nobody asked me about that one.
I wouldve loved to have told you about that. I would have loved to have had an entire news article written about that. I will do better next time. I will. Her remarks framed the publics concerns not as legitimate questions about loyalty and priorities, but as an opportunity for self-promotion and media attention.
She also dismissed the scrutiny as harassment, casting herself as the target of unfair attacks. She labeled the reaction to her trip bullying, implying that criticism of an elected officials conduct is somehow illegitimate.
While Im on this note. reading the comments on this post, honestly, its the way that people do not fall for this sh**. Its the way that people do not fall for this propaganda. It is the way that people do not fall for this bullying because thats what this is. She concluded with a swipe at media coverage of Somali officials and public figures, saying, The minute they mention Somali people, their clicks and views go up.
City officials told Fox News that the trip is personal, privately funded and unrelated to city business, attempting to downplay any official significance. Yet Hiiraan Online explicitly characterized the trip as an official visit, and reported that Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Saturday with St. Louis Park Mayor Nadia Mohamed at the presidential palace in Mogadishu during her official visit to Somalia.
The meeting focused on the role of the Somali diaspora in national development and ways to strengthen relations between Somalia and the United States. For many Americans who still believe public office is a public trust, the episode raises serious questions about whether local leaders should be spending landmark national anniversaries abroad, engaging in official meetings with foreign governments, and then sneering at constituents who dare to ask where their loyalties lie.
Login