Somali Referee's U.S. Entry Denied After Calling Trump 'Racist': What Really Happened?
Resurfaced social media posts believed to be from Omar Abdulkadir Artan, the Somali referee denied entry into the United States and barred from officiating at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, show him repeatedly calling President Donald Trump a racist, condemning his inauguration as radical, and accusing U.S. officials of meddling in African affairs.
The posts were made from an X account under the handle @Ref_Artan, created in 2013, and linked to another Facebook account believed to belong to Artan that shared content from his refereeing career. The posts date back to January 2017, when the account replied directly to Trump multiple times on Inauguration Day, calling his speech "radical" and describing Trump as "the biggest threat to American democracy and world peace."
Days later, responding to a Trump post about Christians being executed in the Middle East, the account wrote that Trump "is clearly a racist and he speaks one religion" —an apparent reference to the then-newly enacted travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries, including Somalia.
In another reply that month, the account added: "It is about Muslims out of US."
By August 2018, the account was still engaging with Trump. "So lucky not to have president like you in my country," a post said in response to one of Trump's posts attacking the media.
The criticism was not limited to Trump. In 2021, the account turned on President Joe Biden after a diversity visa application stalled. "I mistakenly supported u for your long-fought campaign and election by thinking that u r better man then trump," it wrote to Biden's account, "but no i was wrong and thank u for destroying our dreams."
The account also sparred with the State Department and Secretary of State Antony Blinken over U.S. involvement in Somalia and the Horn of Africa. "Hands off my country," a post said directed at the State Department in January 2022. "The days to point Africa what they should and shouldn't do are long gone," a posted addressed to Blinken separately said.
Newsweek reached out to Artan and the State Department for comment on Wednesday.
Who Is Omar Artan, the Somali Referee Denied Entry to the U.S.
The U.S.'s highly unusual move to deny a FIFA-appointed match official permission to enter a World Cup host country drew outrage across the world and raised questions among some fans about America's capacity to host the competition.
Artan was named CAF's referee of the year in 2025 and was set to become the first Somali to officiate a World Cup match. He had officiated international soccer matches for years, including at the Africa Cup of Nations. Last weekend, that dream ended at Miami International Airport.
He was turned back after arriving on a flight from Istanbul. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said he was "determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns." Artan was issued a visa to travel to the U.S. last week, according to the Somalia Embassy in Kenya, which processed it.
A Trump administration official later told CNN the vetting uncovered "derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organizations." FIFA confirmed he "will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States.
Sent Back at the Border, Received as a Hero
Arriving in the capital, Mogadishu, he thanked the Somali government and public as well as FIFA for their support.
“I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next one,” he said as hundreds of supporters at the airport waved Somali flags. “I want the Somali public to take comfort in this and remain confident.”
Later on Wednesday, thousands of soccer fans packed the stadium in Mogadishu for a welcome ceremony for Artan, with patriotic songs echoing through the arena as supporters waved the nation's flag and cheered him on.
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Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre also hosted Artan, writing in a post on X that the referee had “already won the hearts of millions and secured his place in history.”
“He devoted himself to ensuring that football was decided by merit, yet fate denied him the stage he so richly deserved,” Barre said.
Somalia is one of 39 nations affected by the Trump administration's travel ban, which places nationals of listed countries under additional scrutiny. Artan's arrival in the U.S. suggests he had a valid visa prior to travel.
His case also comes as the U.S. government has dramatically expanded its social media vetting of visa applicants. Since 2019, the U.S. has required visa applicants to list all social media usernames or handles from the last five years on visa application forms.
