Obama Criticizes Trump Administration’s Investigation of Ilhan Omar
Former President Barack Obama has sharply criticized the Trump administration’s investigation into Representative Ilhan Omar, even though it was his own administration that initially looked into allegations of her marrying her brother.
Back in 2016, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security discovered indications that Omar’s marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi—who many believe to be her brother—was fraudulent. However, the inquiry ultimately stalled as any potential crime was found to fall outside the five-year statute of limitations. Details about the evidence gathered remain unclear.
Recently, Obama condemned the October 12 raid on Omar’s Washington, D.C. home, which appears to be linked to accusations regarding her immigration documentation. He described the raid as “appalling.”
In a post on X, Obama remarked, “Federal agents have raided her home, confiscated personal records, and seized her phone—all to try and uncover a nonexistent smoking gun from 20 years ago that will somehow make their case.”
He stressed the issue further, saying, “Think about that. The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president.”
Reports suggest that the investigation hinges on questions about whether Omar may have gained her U.S. citizenship illegitimately. Omar, who became a U.S. citizen in 2000 after arriving as a refugee from Somalia, was granted citizenship on the premise that she was under 17 at the time. This is a key focus for federal investigators, who allege that if she was actually 18, she would not have qualified for citizenship through that pathway.
The congresswoman’s father passed away in 2020 during the pandemic, and there have been over a dozen grand jury subpoenas issued to members of her family and other pertinent individuals.
Interestingly, the Biden administration had also received alerts about potential issues regarding Omar’s citizenship application, yet chose not to take action. As it stands, Omar has not faced any charges.
Obama emphasized that any administration willing to use such tactics to intimidate a political figure should concern all Americans, regardless of their views on Omar. He cautioned that if this behavior becomes normalized, it could set a troubling precedent for future leaders.
While Obama did not directly address the marriage allegations involving Omar and Elmi, recent court documents linked Omar with the name “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi.” Omar has consistently denied any wrongdoing, labeling the accusations of her marrying her brother as “insane” and a product of right-wing conspiracy theories. When directly questioned, she stated, “Not to my knowledge.”
There isn’t much known about Elmi, but rumors circulated in Somali forums speculating that he was her brother and that their marriage was part of an unsuccessful attempt to secure him a green card. Omar has previously clarified that although she applied for a marriage license with her ex-husband, Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi, in 2002, they never finalized the application, meaning they were never legally married. She later tied the knot with Hirsi in 2018 before divorcing a year later.
In the meantime, Omar was legally married to Elmi from 2009 until 2017. She indicated that they separated “in our faith tradition” as far back as 2011, though they delayed in finalizing legal matters.
