Viral video of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey eating at Somali restaurant sends internet into chaos: 'New meme unlocked'

The video is a response to the controversy where President Donald Trump publicly insulted Somali immigrants living in Minnesota.

A video shared on social media on December 5 shows Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey sitting down at a Somali restaurant and eating a traditional Somali meal.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey eats Somali food at a Somali restaurant (Getty Images via AFP)

Amid the fraud scandal involving Somali residents of the state and government welfare programs, Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and other state Democrats are running a PR campaign to fix the damage.

To prove his appreciation for Somali culture, Frey sat down at a Somali restaurant with a few Somalis and savored a large bowl of rice and beans.

MAGA supporters on social media and X are taking up the video stills and reacting to the PR move with harsh and funny comments.

An account named Dissident Media on X tagged the video and writes, “Yes white man, eat our bean pile.” The social media reaction is overwhelmingly tagging this video as performative virtue signaling.

A post from a MAGA supporter reads, “Lmfaooo. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is holding on for dear life as he dines in a Somali restaurant to stick it to Trump.”

Gen Z users are not behind and are immediately jumping to capture stills from the video for their meme template. A user writes, “New meme format unlocked: White guy tries Somali slop for the first time,” with a still from the video.

Growing tension over Somali immigration

The video is a response to the controversy where President Donald Trump publicly insulted Somali immigrants living in Minnesota, calling them “garbage” and demanding stricter immigration crackdowns.

City officials, led by Frey, held press conferences rejecting the rhetoric. Frey, flanked by other local leaders, pledged that Minneapolis police would not cooperate with federal immigration raids targeting Somali neighborhoods. He asserted that the city “stands with” its Somali residents.