In an audio clip from Thursday’s episode of The Laura Ingraham Show shared to social media, host Laura Ingraham mocked the accent of Somali-American Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).
In the clip, Ingraham played a short speech by Omar in which she demanded that President Donald Trump abandon his quest for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. “I demand that he work with us to reopen the government before any more damage is done,” Omar said.
Here's Laura Ingraham mocking @IlhanMN's accent, saying she sounds like "Rizzo on Grease," and then doing an impression pic.twitter.com/BvZgW72S1J
— Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) January 18, 2019
After the soundbite of Omar ended, Ingraham wasted no time launching into her mockery of the representative’s accent. “She sounds like Rizzo on Grease, she doesn’t sound like Minnesota,” Ingraham said. She followed this up with an impression of the congresswoman.
The reaction from people all over the web was prompt. Minnesotans, in particular, were offended by Ingraham’s words. “Laura Ingraham @IngrahamAngle says of @IlhanMN ‘She sounds like Rizzo on Grease,she doesn’t sound like Minnesota,that accent’ FYI @IlhanMN won with 78% of vote,” Twitter user @esmemurphy wrote. “She represents 700,000 Mn in Congress. That sounds pretty darn Mn to me.”
Laura Ingraham @IngrahamAngle says of @IlhanMN "She sounds like Rizzo on Grease,she doesn't sound like Minnesota,that accent" FYI @IlhanMN won with 78% of vote. She represents 700,000 Mn in Congress. That sounds pretty darn Mn to me. She is a live guest on @wcco 10:30am 2day
— esme murphy (@esmemurphy) January 20, 2019
Other users agreed. “As a Minnesotan born/ raised, @IngrahamAngle should STHU about what it means to be a Minnesotan,” comedy writer and activist Lizz Winstead wrote. “With the most welcoming refugee policies in this country, we understand that being Minnesotan means welcoming & loving all who want to be part of our community, doncha know,” she wrote, joking about a popular Minnesota catchphrase.
As a Minnesotan born/ raised, @IngrahamAngle should STHU about what it means to be a Minnesotan. With the most welcoming refugee policies in this country, we understand that being Minnesotan means welcoming & loving all who want to be part of our community, doncha know. @IlhanMN https://t.co/o1HCNt2TLr
— Lizz "Insufferable Wench" Winstead (@lizzwinstead) January 20, 2019
Dear Laurel Inground,
— Indignant Minnesotan (@IndignantMN) January 20, 2019
You don’t get to decide what “sounds like Minnesota.” Our state is not just 5 million white Fargo characters.
Sincerely,
Minnesota Twitter https://t.co/GJIWHJUHSu
Even Omar got in on it. “Who knew sounding like Rizzo from GREESE was a crime,” she wrote. “FYI, here in MN our ‘accents’ aren’t what makes us Minnesotans, it’s our warm and welcoming hearts that do. Which @IngrahamAngle would know nothing about!”
🤣 Who knew sounding like Rizzo from GREESE was a crime.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 20, 2019
FYI, here in MN our “accents” aren’t what makes us Minnesotans, it’s our warm and welcoming hearts that do.
Which @IngrahamAngle would know nothing about! https://t.co/UmIw8nlgym
Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the United States.
Omar came to the United States as a twelve-year-old; she and her family were fleeing the civil war in that country and spent years in a refugee camp in Kenya before coming to the U.S.
Ingraham has not commented publicly on the incident or backlash.
H/T ThinkProgress