Pressley Condemns Attacks on Rep. Omar, Blasts Trump for Fascist, Anti-Freedom Agenda

October 15, 2026 Pressley Condemns Attacks on Rep. Omar, Blasts Trump for Fascist, Anti-Freedom Agenda DHS Raid on Omar’s Home is Latest in Trump’s Coordinated Attacks on Black Women in Public Office “If they want to control what you do with your body, if they want to control your access to the ballot, if they want to control what books you read, if they want to degrade free speech and attack the free press because they only want people reading lies and propaganda, then we are actively in a fascist state.” Video (YouTube) CAMBRIDGE – During a media availability, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) condemned Donald Trump’s baseless attacks on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05) after federal authorities raided her home this week and denounced his biased targeting of Black women leaders nationwide. Rep. Pressley called out Trump for his fascist agenda, enumerating his attacks on the free press and freedom of speech, and his campaign to terrorize, silence, and traumatize communities. A transcript of the Congresswoman’s remarks is available below and the video is available here . Transcript: Pressley Condemns Attacks on Rep. Omar, Blasts Trump for Fascist, Anti-Freedom Agenda October 13, 2026 Cambridge, MA Well, I don’t know how many more examples people need that we are living in a fascist state. This hostile Administration continues to weaponize the Department of Justice against their political enemies. He has had Representative Omar—who is a very effective Congresswoman, a union member who has fought for, you know, the humanity of all people, but especially workers’ rights, delivered school-free. I’m sorry, free school, free lunches to our children. She’s been a leader in so many ways. She’s also a dear friend of mine. But this is so much bigger than Congresswoman Omar. Again, this Department of Justice has been weaponized against the likes of Tish James, of Lisa Cook, of LaMonica McIver. It is an Administration, a fascist Administration, that is fearmongering. They are fearmongering heading into our elections. They are creating, they seek to create, a chilling effect throughout this country. I think of people like Rümeysa Öztürk, my constituent, who was disappeared and detained simply for writing an op-ed they didn’t agree with. That is attacking free speech. I think about Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, who is being threatened with a 15-year prison sentence. She just gave birth less than three weeks ago, to a baby girl, and she is being threatened with 15 years imprisonment simply for doing her job. They sought to indict her for conducting Congressional oversight of some of these detention facilities, doing her job. So, you know, they want people to live in a state of fear. It is an anti-freedom agenda. If they want to control what you do with your body, if they want to control your access to the ballot, if they want to control what books you read, if they want to degrade free speech and attack the free press because they only want people reading lies and propaganda, then we are actively in a fascist state. And I need people to vote. I need you to vote as if everything depends on it because it does. You have to vote in force because we know that they’re going to challenge those election outcomes because everything has been about the election. January 6 th was about the election. The fact that they didn’t sign our bipartisan 21st Century Housing bill into law because Donald Trump said unless you vote on and pass the SAVE America Act, I will not sign this housing bill into law. This is not an Administration that cares about the working man and woman, that is going to fight for things like fare-free transit to lighten the load for people and make their lives easier. They’re just simply inciting fear. It’s just fearmongering. And I also want to say this of Congresswoman Omar: this raid with more than 20 agents happened at her home. Her children were there. So the terrorizing of this Administration—just like with the actions of ICE—you can’t say that you’re doing something in the name of law and order when you are terrorizing families and communities. They want people to be afraid to vote, to go to work, to go to worship, to just be. So we are actively—fascism and authoritarianism is not on the way. We are actively living it right now. And so we have to continue to sound the alarm. And I need people to vote. Vote like you never have before. Vote in force. ### Back to News Next Article Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email