President Trump told Minnesotans to fight back against Somali immigrants a day after federal charges in an alleged ISIS-inspired terror plot at the Mall of America, drawing fierce Democratic pushback.

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday calling on Minnesota residents to “fight back” against Somali immigrants, one day after the FBI and Department of Justice announced charges against an 18-year-old Somali American man accused of plotting a terror attack connected to ISIS.

The timing linked a disrupted domestic terror case directly to long-running concerns over crime, immigration enforcement, and state leadership in Minnesota, home to the nation’s largest Somali community.

Newsweek reported that federal officials charged Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, a U.S. citizen of Somali heritage, with one federal count of knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition while knowing or having reasonable cause to believe they would be used to commit a felony and a federal crime of terrorism.

FBI sting stops alleged mass-casualty plan

According to the charging details described by authorities, Mohamud had spoken online for almost two years with a source about his admiration for ISIS and his desire to travel to Somalia to join a foreign terrorist organization. If he could not go, he allegedly planned to buy a weapon and carry out an attack in his home state.

One idea discussed was a mass-casualty shooting at the Mall of America. Investigators said an attack may have taken place later this month.

On Tuesday, Mohamud allegedly accepted an AK-47-style rifle and about 200 rounds of ammunition from an undercover FBI agent, believing the weapons would support an ISIS-connected terror attack. He lived with his mother at an undisclosed Minnesota address and had attended school during part of the period when investigators monitored the online conversations.

Special Agent in Charge Chris Dotson addressed the case at a Wednesday news conference.

"Anyone heading down the pathway of violence should know, when the FBI receives credible evidence indicating someone is seeking means to carry out a violent attack, we act to disrupt the threat immediately and protect innocent lives,"

Dotson said. No injuries or damage occurred because the plot was stopped.

Trump says residents have been robbed and abandoned

Trump’s Thursday Truth Social post framed the case as part of a broader failure. He wrote that Minnesota was “being taken over” by Somali immigrants and described “violence, murder, and mayhem all over the state.”

"You have been robbed, and abandoned by your State Government. Your Governor is an incompetent thief who doesn't want to get involved. He just wants to get out of town with as much as he can steal, and then, lead a quiet life,"

Trump posted. He continued:

"The Somalians should not be allowed to get away with what they are doing. They view you as weak and stupid people. Fight back Minnesota, fight back!"

He added that the federal government would “come to your rescue” if needed.

Trump has long criticized alleged fraud connected to the Somali community in Minnesota and has portrayed Democratic Gov. Tim Walz as emblematic of party failures on immigration and crime. Those fraud concerns have drawn repeated federal attention, including ICE scrutiny of high-profile figures tied to the state.

Walz and Frey hit back hard

Walz issued a statement to Newsweek dismissing the post.

“The President’s deranged social media posts can’t distract from the fact that he’s losing a war and driving up costs. He’s lashing out at blue states because he can’t land a punch on America’s actual enemies.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also responded Thursday evening.

"Of course the President’s comment is misleading, racist, and uninformed, law enforcement partners have already been working together to bring violent crime levels to the lowest levels in recent history. But mostly, it’s just boring. The same tired rhetoric, the same flailing arguments. So boring. America is bored of Trump.”

Frey’s claim of historically low violent crime sat alongside the fresh federal terrorism charges in the same metro area. Newsweek contacted Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar for comment Thursday afternoon; no responses were reported. The White House was also reached for clarification.

Minnesota’s Somali population is substantial. U.S. Census data compiled by Neilsberg shows around 60,000 to 65,000 residents reporting Somali ancestry. The Minnesota State Demographic Center estimates roughly half were born in Somalia, and about half of those are naturalized U.S. citizens. Many arrived in the 1990s and 2000s fleeing civil war. The majority live in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Enforcement history and political friction

The latest case landed against a backdrop of heightened federal immigration enforcement. ICE’s Operation Metro Surge began in December 2025 and ran through early 2026 across the Twin Cities. During that operation, federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens.

Walz and Frey had spoken out against the immigration operation. Trump and Walz once worked together during the 2020 riots after George Floyd’s death; Trump previously called Walz an “excellent guy” and said he was “very happy” with the National Guard mobilization. Relations soured after Walz joined the national Democratic ticket in 2024.

Federal focus on Minnesota fraud networks has continued. Separate reporting has covered DOJ interest in prominent Minnesota Democrats and related family matters, keeping accountability questions in the public eye.

Mohamud’s case itself remains straightforward on the charging documents described by the FBI and DOJ: an 18-year-old who allegedly spent years voicing ISIS loyalty, discussed a Mall of America massacre, and took delivery of a rifle and hundreds of rounds from an undercover agent. The disruption prevented any attack.

Local political fights over immigration and public safety have only intensified. A retired state trooper’s challenge centered on fraud has added another layer to Minnesota’s ongoing debates over governance and enforcement.

Trump’s message left little room for ambiguity. He cast state leadership as absent, described residents as abandoned, and offered federal backup while telling Minnesotans to push back against what he called takeover and mayhem. Democratic officials answered with accusations of distraction and racism rather than new details on how the terror pathway opened in the first place.

When an American citizen of immigrant heritage arms up for ISIS and eyes a packed shopping mall, the public deserves results, not lectures about boredom.