Former Biden official allegedly raised a Somali flag at Ohio Statehouse, state lawmaker responds
A recently resurfaced video showed a former Biden administration official allegedly raising the Somali national flag on the Ohio Statehouse grounds.
The video shared by Libs of TikTok showed Hamse Warfa, a former member of the Joe Biden administration, participating in the raising of the Somali flag. It reignited a broader debate among Ohioans over when, where, and whether foreign flags should be displayed on government property.
“Do you see what’s happening?” Libs of TikTok wrote. “Ohio has been conquered.”
Top Biden State Dept advisor who’s from Somalia raised the Somali flag at the Ohio State House
Do you see what’s happening?
Ohio has been conquered. pic.twitter.com/sKqz3Q67kN
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 2, 2026
State Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron, responded to the social media post, citing the incident as justification for House Bill 602, which he introduced in November 2025.
“While we have a lot to do in Ohio, [state Rep. Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria,] and I have introduced a bill to stop this. It should have been done at the last General Assembly, but got line-item vetoed,” he wrote. “Let’s get this done.”
The bill would prohibit state agencies and facilities from displaying foreign national flags unless explicitly authorized by law. The legislation is intended to clarify the scope of official endorsement and ensure consistent standards for symbols flown on state-owned grounds.
The bill remains pending in the Ohio General Assembly.
Ohio already has administrative rules governing flag displays at the Statehouse.
Under the Ohio Administrative Code, only certain flags — including U.S., state, military, and local government flags — may be flown on Capitol Square without special permission. Foreign government flags are allowed only with the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board’s approval.
Similar controversies have surfaced at the local level, with commissioners in Ashland County adopting a policy in 2023 limiting county-owned flagpoles to U.S., Ohio, and county flags after concerns were raised about other flags being flown, according to Ashland Source.
Officials said the move was intended to keep government property politically neutral and avoid disputes over symbolism.
Ohio also passed two other flag-related bills – House Bills 18 and 87.
“Our flags fly in honor of those who have sacrificed to ensure that our liberty is protected,” state Representative Nick Santucci, R-Howland Twp., said. “They serve as a constant reminder that we are all united as Ohioans and Americans above all else. We should never see a flag that says anything other than ‘Made in America.’”
At the federal level, U.S. Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, sponsored a congressional amendment in 2023 to block the use of federal funds for foreign flags displayed at congressional offices, according to the Washington Examiner.
The proposal followed criticism of a Palestinian flag flown outside Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s, D-Michigan, office, resurrecting similar arguments that government spaces should prioritize American symbols.
