On December 9, 2025, former President Donald Trump took the stage at a rally in Pennsylvania, delivering a speech that quickly set off a firestorm of controversy. Though billed as an address about the economy, much of Trump’s remarks veered into territory that critics have called not just off-topic but openly racist and xenophobic—especially regarding immigrants from Somalia and other countries he disparaged in crude terms.
Trump’s comments, which included questioning why the United States “only takes people from shithole countries,” and suggesting instead that the nation should welcome more immigrants from places like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, drew immediate backlash. According to The Far Out Magazine, Trump went on to describe Somalia as “filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime,” and claimed, “the only thing they’re good at is going after ships.” The former president also boasted about his supposed popularity among Black voters, asserting he received “the biggest vote with Black people.”
The response from media figures, entertainers, and community leaders was swift and pointed. On December 10, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel addressed the rally on his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, lambasting Trump’s remarks as “racist” and “the worst thing he’s ever said.” Kimmel didn’t hold back, quipping, “Our Kentucky Fried President was in Pennsylvania last night delivering a speech about the economy that was almost not at all about the economy.” He joked about the speech’s length, saying, “If he had talked for three more minutes, it would have legally been classified as an Avatar movie.”
Kimmel aired a clip of Trump’s speech and then responded, “Wow, that was racist. I mean, he put the three whitest countries in the world on the guest list. Black country? Lock the doors. That was extra Trumpy. That might be the worst thing he’s ever said.” He also disputed Trump’s claim about Black voter support, clarifying, “He got 15% of the black vote. When he says ‘Black people,’ he means Herschel Walker and Kanye West—and that’s it.”
The outrage was echoed on The View, where hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, and Sunny Hostin dissected Trump’s language and its implications. As reported by OK! Magazine, Goldberg looked directly into the camera and said, “They see you as president and they don’t want to come here.” Responding to Trump’s apparent admiration for Norway, Behar joked, “Why doesn’t he go to Norway and stay there?” to which Goldberg replied, “They won’t let him in. They will not let him.”
Behar didn’t mince words, calling out the “blatant racism” in Trump’s remarks about immigrants and questioning, “What’s the difference between Somalia and Norway? Hello! I mean, it’s so obvious… He doesn’t even try to cover it up anymore.” Hostin, meanwhile, drew a direct line between Trump’s comments and his earlier derogatory statements about Haiti, noting the personal impact on her family. “I think everyone should be offended at the blatant xenophobia and racism that comes from the highest office in the United States,” Hostin said. “He’s just openly embracing these words like garbage, like filth and vermin.”
The hosts of The View also raised concerns about the broader societal effects of such rhetoric. Hostin asked, “And where have we heard that language, Whoopi?” She pointed out that similar language has been used “in fascist places where white supremacy has taken over the country.” Goldberg agreed, warning that Trump’s rhetoric signals a drift toward dictatorship: “This is who you are, this is who you’ve always been, and this is who you are. And this is why all the people you would like to have come here are not gonna come here. Because they don’t want to be under a dictatorship, which is what you’re doing.”
But the consequences of Trump’s words extend far beyond television and social media spats. As The New Arab reported, Somali Americans—especially in Minnesota, home to the largest Somali community in the United States—have felt the sting of increased hostility and anxiety. Trump’s comments came just days after a New York Times report on a welfare fraud scheme involving Somalis in Minnesota and a shooting incident in Washington, D.C., involving an Afghan national. Community leaders say these events, combined with Trump’s rhetoric, have emboldened open expressions of racism and led to real-world repercussions.
Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), told The New Arab, “The community is on edge. They’re nervous. With people already biased against our community, they’re feeling vindicated to say these things.” Hussein highlighted a recent incident in Wisconsin, where a Cinnabon employee was filmed hurling racial slurs at a Somali customer wearing a hijab. The customer explained that the outburst began after she asked for more caramel on her cinnamon roll, only to be insulted about her headscarf. The video went viral, and, shockingly, an online fundraiser for the fired employee raised over $100,000—an indicator, according to community leaders, of both the normalization and support of open racism in some quarters.
The impact on daily life for Somali Americans has been profound. Families in Minnesota have reported a spike in bullying of Somali children at schools, a rise in immigration arrests (despite the majority of Somalis in the U.S. being citizens), and a chilling effect on social life, with once-busy gathering places like malls and cafés now eerily empty. “It feels like we’ve gone back in time 40 years in terms of the racist rhetoric that’s now accepted in mainstream politics,” Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy director of CAIR, told The New Arab. “We don’t want to be the bigots of today condemned by future generations.”
In response, Somali American leaders are mobilizing. Hussein says his organization has sent letters to schools to address bullying and is working with other communities to foster solidarity. Amid the adversity, some young Somali Americans have turned to humor and online solidarity, jokingly referring to Minneapolis as “Minnadishu” and Minnesota as “the promised land.” Hussein remains hopeful: “It’s a lot to go through right now. But I think our community will be better off for it. Every time our community is wrongly attacked, it is a time when people come together.”
As the fallout from Trump’s Pennsylvania rally continues, the episode has reignited debates about race, immigration, and the power of presidential rhetoric. For many, the events of early December 2025 have served as a stark reminder of the enduring impact that words from the highest office in the land can have—both in shaping public discourse and in affecting the lives of real people across America.
