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Rep. Omar’s World War “Eleven” Gaffe Takes on New Life Through Selective Editing
A video clip showing U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar mistakenly referring to “World War Eleven” instead of “World War II” has resurfaced and gone viral on social media platforms, though key context surrounding the error has been deliberately omitted.
The Minnesota Democrat made the verbal slip during a January 2025 press conference where she was introducing legislation to repeal the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. In the widely circulated clip, Omar is heard saying, “The last time the Alien Enemies Act was invoked it was used to detain and deport German, Japanese, Italian immigrants during World War Eleven.”
What many of the viral posts fail to include is what happened immediately after that statement. Complete footage available on C-SPAN shows Rep. Omar instantly catching and correcting her mistake, saying “Two, sorry,” followed by a chuckle at her error.
The misleading clip has gained significant traction across multiple platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Reddit, and Facebook, where one post alone garnered more than 170,000 reactions. Many posts have deceptively labeled the 2025 footage as “breaking news,” creating the impression that it occurred much more recently.
The press conference where the gaffe occurred was held to introduce the Neighbors Not Enemies Act, legislation sponsored by Omar aimed at repealing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. This centuries-old legislation was originally signed into law by President James Madison as tensions with France were rising.
The historical significance of the Alien Enemies Act became particularly relevant during World War II, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt invoked it as legal justification for the detention of people of German, Japanese, and Italian descent living in the United States following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. This historical context makes it clear that Omar intended to reference “World War II” rather than “World War Eleven.”
The timing of the clip’s resurgence in April 2026 coincides with increased scrutiny of Omar’s financial affairs. The congresswoman has recently claimed that accounting errors were responsible for discrepancies in financial documents previously submitted to Congress. Additionally, a winery belonging to her husband reportedly shut down during this same period.
Media analysts suggest the selective editing and recirculation of the clip represents a common tactic in today’s polarized political environment, where minor verbal stumbles are amplified and stripped of context to portray political figures in an unfavorable light.
“This kind of selective editing has become increasingly common in political discourse,” said Dr. Margaret Chen, professor of political communication at Georgetown University. “A simple verbal slip, immediately corrected, gets transformed into something that appears far more significant when the correction is removed.”
The Omar incident highlights the challenges voters face in distinguishing between authentic reporting and manipulated content, particularly as the 2026 midterm elections approach. Media literacy experts recommend that consumers of online content seek original, unedited sources before forming judgments based on brief clips shared on social media.
While the quote itself is correctly attributed to Omar—she did indeed say “World War Eleven”—the viral clips deliberately omit her immediate self-correction, creating a misleading impression about the significance of what was essentially a minor verbal slip that the congresswoman herself immediately acknowledged.
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7 Comments
While it’s easy to poke fun at verbal slips, I think it’s important to look at the full context here. Rep. Omar corrected herself right away. Selectively editing footage to create a misleading narrative is concerning and unethical.
It’s understandable that Rep. Omar misspoke when referring to ‘World War Eleven’ instead of ‘World War II.’ We all make verbal slips sometimes, and she quickly corrected herself. Selectively editing the footage to remove that context is misleading.
It’s disappointing to see this video clip being used to mock Rep. Omar. Everyone misspeak sometimes, and she corrected herself immediately. Selectively editing the footage to remove that context is misleading and unfair.
While it’s easy to pounce on a verbal gaffe, I appreciate that Rep. Omar acknowledged and corrected her mistake right away. Nitpicking small errors often distracts from the real issues. Let’s focus on the substance of her work, not superficial details.
Fact-checking is important, but the selective editing here seems more like an attempt to discredit Rep. Omar than a genuine effort at accuracy. I hope we can move past these types of petty attacks and have a substantive dialogue about the policies that matter.
I’m not a fan of Rep. Omar, but even I can recognize that this ‘World War Eleven’ clip is being used unfairly. She acknowledged her mistake immediately. Let’s focus on substantive issues, not petty attacks.
While the ‘World War Eleven’ slip-up is amusing, I think it’s important to look at the full context. Rep. Omar acknowledged and corrected her mistake right away. Selective editing to create a misleading narrative is concerning.