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St. Louis Park Mayor Nadia Mohamed, who made history as the first Somali American elected mayor of a U.S. city, fired back at critics who criticized her Fourth of July weekend trip to Somalia during the country’s 250th anniversary weekend.
The controversy began after local news outlet Alpha News reported that Mohamed, who has repeatedly been praised by Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was in Somalia over the semi-quincentennial Fourth of July weekend, citing a Somali news outlet that reported on her visit she made alongside the country’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Video from the Somali president’s X account highlighted the visit and, according to Alpha News, photos appeared to show the mayor’s arrival with “a large welcoming party waving American and Somali flags.”
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“Allow me to offer my sincerest apology for daring – for having the audacity – to take vacation time to see family members I have not seen in 10 years,” Mohamed sarcastically said in a video posted to her social media accounts following criticism for not being stateside.
“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. How inconsiderate of me! How treacherous – is it treacherous? Treacherous of me!”
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“If you must know, I also met with the president of Switzerland, the then-president of Switzerland, but nobody asked me about that one,” she continued.
“I would’ve 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.”
Mohamed remains in Somalia, according to the city, which told Fox News Digital the trip is personal, privately funded and unrelated to city business.
However, the city did not provide a return date when asked, saying only that Council Member Yolanda Farris is currently performing the mayor’s duties as designated mayor pro tem.
Mohamed concluded her “apology” video by calling the complaints about her trip “bullying.”
“Reading the comments on this post,” she said, while trying to contain laughter. Honestly, it’s the way that people do not fall for this s—. It’s the way that people do not fall for this propaganda. It is the way that people do not fall for this bullying – because that’s what this is.”
It’s all about “clicks” off the backs of “hating” Somali people, Mohamed argued.
“The minute they mention Somali people, their clicks and views go up,” she said before the video cut.
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