Posobiec opened the segment by tying the issue to Michigan’s political landscape, noting that Dearborn is represented by Rep. Rashida Tlaib. He argued that what is happening in Dearborn mirrors similar tensions in Minneapolis’ Somali community. Introducing his point, Posobiec said, “You realize that this is Rashida Tlaib’s district. And you see people there… you see people as well in Minneapolis with the Somalians.”
He highlighted several political figures in Minnesota, adding that “Ilhan Omar and Omar Fattah… refer back to their home country as their home.” According to Posobiec, this reflects a broader mindset: “They don’t view themselves as part of America. They view themselves as enclaves of a wider Arabic world… greater Somalia, the Islamic world.”
Posobiec argued that technology is accelerating this trend, stating, “With the internet… they can watch media from back home, they can be in contact with everyone back home. There’s no need to assimilate.” He contended that US policy has removed incentives to integrate, saying the country has “opened up our economic borders the same way that we have our physical borders.”
Sortor said the dynamic is reinforced by progressives in the city, especially at local government meetings. “These people are defended viciously by typically old white liberal women.” He recalled attending a city council meeting, describing how these residents “showed up… in support of the fundamentalist Muslims that want them to be wearing hijabs out in the streets.”
Calling the phenomenon “suicidal empathy,” Sortor said, “These types of people have done a tremendous amount of damage… They are siding with the actual enemy that actually wants to put them down.”
Posobiec connected the conversation to cultural narratives in the media, pointing to The Handmaid’s Tale as an example. He told viewers, “I recently found out that The Handmaid’s Tale… was originally based on Afghanistan. It was not a Trump thing.” Posobiec said author Margaret Atwood had traveled there and drew from that environment, adding, “Funny how Joy Reid never brings that up.”
