Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey drew outrage from conservatives after delivering part of his victory speech in Somalia following his third term victory on Tuesday.
Frey spoke in Somali for about a minute to the crowd of supporters, thanking them repeatedly in his native language before switching to English. Video The speech was widely shared on social media, drawing harsh criticism from conservative commentators.
“The pimping here is crazy.” wrote conservative influencer Paul Szypula. “Mayor Jacob Frey, after winning re-election, spoke in Somalia for almost a minute and then said that Minneapolis belongs to Somalia.”
Democratic mayor defeats socialist challenger Omar Fateh, a state senator who was supported by Rep. Ilhan Omar and the Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America. Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar have endorsed Frey's campaign. (RELATED: Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey Uses Catholic Church Shooting to Smear Christians for 'Thoughts and Prayers')
Newly re-elected Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey delivered his victory speech in Somali.pic.twitter.com/y8zyPYFlWp
— TikTok Libraries (@libsoftikt) November 7, 2025
During his speech, Frey told the Somalis crowd that Minneapolis should be a place where everyone feels at home, regardless of background. He named several regions of Somalia, including Bosaso, Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Garowe and Beledweyne.
“This election means that this is a moment of unity where the entire Somali community can come together and say, 'This is our people. This is our city. We are united for each other,” Frey said.
Conservative pundit Jerry Callahan called the speech “the most humiliating thing I've ever seen,” and podcaster Matt Walsh argued that politicians should speak English when officially addressing the public.
“I don't know how big the ICE presence is in Minneapolis, but it should be much, MUCH larger.” wrote commentator Nick Sortor.
This is not Frey's first controversy over political messages in Somali. In September, he faced similar criticism after releasing election advertisements in Somali.
