Somali lawmaker gives very slippery answer when asked why she spoke in front of upside down American flag

Oregon county commissioner Nafisa Fai faced questions after video showed her speaking at a Minnesota event with an American flag hanging upside down. The Oregon Journalism Project initially said images of the flag were deepfakes, but later acknowledged that the flag was upside down and apologised for publishing an incorrect image, prompting Axios to retract a story based on its reporting.

Fai told a KATU reporter that she and her team had not produced or approved the material circulating online, and later said she had been unaware of the flag’s position. The incident drew criticism from conservative accounts and support from Democrats, including Oregon congresswoman Maxine Dexter, who had called the allegations a racist attack and raised concerns about deepfakes. Fai is standing to chair the Washington County Board of Commissioners in the 3 November election.