Minneapolis mayoral candidate Omar Fateh compared GOP lawmakers to 'terrorists'

Socialist Minneapolis mayoral candidate Omar Fateh previously compared Republicans lawmakers to “terrorists” during a 2023 debate on a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. He has been linked to New York City mayoral candidate and socialist, Zohran Mamdani as well. 

Fateh's remarks came after Republican state Senator Glenn Gruenhagen had argued that Minnesota had enacted a prohibition on illegal immigrants obtaining state ID cards, including driver's licenses, due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, citing national security concerns, per the American Experiment.

"Our immigrant community is not here to break the law. We heard them being called terrorists, we heard them being called drug dealers, we heard a lot of insults. We heard that they are a threat to our national security, and that's a flat-out lie. You wanna know who the real threat is, Madam President? I'll give you a hint. They don't look like our chief author. They don't look like the folks up in the gallery. They don't look like the folks out in the rotunda. They look like many of the members that sit in the front," said Fateh.

"And you don't have to take my word for it," he continued. "According to DHS, Madam President, the greatest domestic threat facing the United States comes from, ‘racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists, specifically those who advocate for the superiority of the white race.’”

Fateh, who identifies as a "democratic socialist," according to his government profile, is a state senator in Minnesota representing District 62. He's running on a platform that includes making the city a "safe-haven" for abortion as well as sex change surgeries.

Additionally, Fateh's program includes a "rent stabilization policy," commonly known as rent freezes, which is similar to the proposal suggested by NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. He also stated on X that he intends to work to raise the minimum wage to $20 per hour by 2028, akin to Mamdani's $30 minimum wage policy by 2030 proposal.

Fateh has also vowed to "protect" Minneapolis from the Trump administration. "Protecting all of our communities from Donald Trump means not letting MPD interact with ICE, whether it’s for an immigration raid or not. Our residents deserve a mayor who will stand up to Donald Trump and say, ‘no, not in our community,'" Fateh said.