Rep. Ilhan Omar faced widespread ridicule on social media Monday after a video resurfaced in which she referred to World War II as "World War Eleven."

The clip originated from a January 22, 2025, C-SPAN news conference where Omar and other Democrats advocated for the "Neighbors Not Enemies Act," a bill aimed at repealing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. During her remarks, Omar stated, "The last time the Alien Enemies Act was invoked, it was used to detain and deport German, Japanese, Italian immigrants during World War Eleven." She then corrected herself, chuckling, "Oh … two … sorry."

The Alien Enemies Act, signed into law by President John Adams in 1798, grants the president authority to apprehend, restrain, or deport individuals from nations at war with the United States during wartime. It was last invoked during World War II, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt used it to detain thousands of Japanese, German, and Italian immigrants deemed potential threats.

Omar's comments came amid criticism of the Trump administration's plans to utilize the act for expedited deportations of illegal immigrants, including suspected Venezuelan gang members. Advisers like Stephen Miller had advocated reviving the law to address national security concerns posed by criminal migrants.

The video gained renewed traction on X, formerly Twitter, racking up millions of views. Accounts like Libs of TikTok posted the clip with the caption, "I can’t believe this dummy is in Congress." Conservative commentator Matt Walsh questioned her competence, writing, "Ilhan Omar doesn’t know how to read Roman numerals, AND she thinks that there have been 11 world wars." Others referenced a now-defunct Minnesota daycare called the Quality Learning Center, linked to past scandals, joking that it was where she learned history.

Users speculated the slip stemmed from misreading the Roman numeral II as the Arabic numeral 11. One post quipped, "World War Eleven. That's Ilhan Omar, ladies and gentlemen." President Trump has previously labeled Omar "Low IQ Ilhan Omar" on Truth Social.

Omar's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the viral clip. Fact-checks confirmed the video's authenticity as an unedited segment from the 2025 event.

The gaffe reignited debates over Omar's grasp of basic history, with critics pointing to it as emblematic of broader concerns about congressional qualifications. Social media backlash continued into Tuesday morning, amplifying the moment amid ongoing immigration policy discussions.