A 2017 video of Sen. Amy Klobuchar has been circulating widely on social media in recent days, with many users sharing it as though it were recent footage. The clip shows Klobuchar speaking at a rally with members of Minnesota’s Somali community celebrating the election of Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmajo, as president of Somalia.
In the video, Klobuchar addresses a crowd waving both Somali and American flags. At one point she is seen holding an American flag upside down while a man standing behind her laughs; another upside-down American flag appears elsewhere in the footage, including one waved by a man who had been on stage with her.
In the clip, Klobuchar also speaks a few words in Somali before discussing her legislative work, saying she had worked “so hard to reduce the redundant regulations on remittances to Somalia, lessening the burdens for banks,” and adding, “We have more to do, but we will continue to fight for you.”
Context: A Close Race for Governor
The video’s resurfacing comes as Klobuchar campaigns for Minnesota governor. Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, chose not to seek reelection following a fraud scandal in state government. Klobuchar won the DFL primary in August and now faces Republican state Rep. Lisa Demuth, who represents District 13A in the Minnesota House.
Minnesota has historically leaned Democratic in statewide races, which would typically favor Klobuchar. But a poll from Co/efficient, conducted September 14-15 among likely voters, found Klobuchar leading Demuth by just two points, 47% to 45%. Co/efficient is generally regarded as a right-leaning pollster, but the result nonetheless suggests a tighter contest than Minnesota’s recent political history might predict.
Fraud involving state programs during the Walz administration has become a significant issue in the race, and Klobuchar’s remarks in the 2017 video about remittance regulations have drawn renewed scrutiny in that context.
It remains unclear whether Klobuchar or others on stage were aware the flags were upside down at the time the video was recorded.
