Donald Trump has escalated his attacks on Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar, claiming at a rally in Iowa that she used a “fake name” when she was sworn into Congress and should resign.
The president referred to a Department of Justice filing which named the Minnesota representative as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi”. He told supporters in Sioux City that the revelation was “not looking good” for Ms Omar.
Mr Trump also pointed to the similarity between her surname and that of Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, the man she was alleged to have married. “Are you allowed to do that?” he asked the crowd.
“Because she used a fake name to be sworn in, I assume she must immediately have to resign from Congress,” Mr Trump said, calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was in the audience, to respond.
Supporters began chanting “lock her up”, prompting Mr Trump to claim that the Democrats had “just conceded her seat” and that Republicans had gained a House seat.
In a later Truth Social post, he wrote: “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, her real name, has openly admitted to FRAUD, and she will not be legally allowed to be a Member of this August Body from this point forth.”
Ilhan Omar denies marriage allegation
Mr Trump again alleged that Ms Omar had married her brother, referring to an interview in which she was asked whether she had ever married a sibling.
When broadcaster Chris Hayes asked whether there was “not to my knowledge” even the slightest possibility that her former husband was related to her, Ms Omar gave the same answer.
Mr Trump said the wording was revealing. “Well, if you asked me that same question about, let’s say, my sister, I would say ‘no.’ She said ‘not to my knowledge.’ That tells you a lot right there,” he told reporters outside the White House.
Ms Omar has consistently denied the allegation and described it as an “insane” conspiracy theory. She said it originated on a Somali blog before being taken up by conservative activists in Minneapolis.
“There is no established evidence that Elmi is Omar’s brother,” and she has rejected claims that she introduced him to others as her sibling, the account said. Ms Omar married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi in 2009 and divorced him in 2017.
Federal investigation into immigration paperwork
The remarks came amid a criminal fraud investigation into Ms Omar’s immigration paperwork. Federal agents searched her Washington home on October 12 and seized phones, computers and other personal belongings.
Ms Omar said between 15 and 25 agents arrived at about 6am and remained at the property for four to five hours. She said they removed 17 items, including phones, notebooks, a vintage camera and a Somali-language book.
She described the search as intrusive but polite, while maintaining that the investigation was politically motivated. Investigators have issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including some involving her relatives.
The Minnesota US Attorney’s Office is examining whether false statements were made in immigration documents concerning Ms Omar’s birth date. She has said that she legally obtained American citizenship at 17 through her father, Nur Omar Mohamed, who became a naturalised citizen in 2000.
Mr Trump has suggested that Ms Omar could face prison if investigators establish that she committed immigration fraud. She has denied wrongdoing and accused the administration of trying to force her out of Congress.
Ms Omar also said she intended to leave her Washington home after its address became public, citing the death threats she regularly receives. “I can’t continue to live there,” she said.
