Trump once questioned Obama's citizenship. Now Obama is speaking out for Ilhan Omar.

Axios · 10/18/2026, 4:04:53 PM

Former President Barack Obama issued a forceful denunciation of the Trump administration's legal pursuit of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar over suspicions she fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship decades ago, an allegation the Minnesota lawmaker has called "disgusting lies." Why it matters: Obama — who faced false claims for years from Donald Trump that he wasn't an American citizen — is selective about when he weighs in on political issues or the president. His decision to speak out reflects his view that the DOJ raid on Omar's home last week was a betrayal of American values. What he's saying: " The fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar's political views," Obama wrote on X . "Because if this becomes the new normal, there's no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won't do the same." Driving the news: Federal agents raided Omar's Washington home Monday, seizing her phone as part of an investigation into whether she or her late father provided false information on immigration paperwork 26 years ago. The Wall Street Journal reported the administration aims to build "a case to strip her of her U.S. citizenship and ultimately deport her." Omar arrived in the U.S. from Somalia in 1995 as a child. She became a citizen through her father's naturalization in 2000 when records indicate she was 17. But investigators are seeking evidence that she was a year older and therefore not automatically eligible for citizenship. Flashback: The first Trump administration reviewed similar allegations in 2019, including questions about her birth date and her father's immigration, but found insufficient evidence to pursue a full investigation, the Washington Post reported . The allegation gained attention through a viral claim on social media, according to the Post . The other side: