Donald Trump has publicly attacked Ilhan Omar, the Somali-born US Representative for Minnesota, since July 2019, when he told her and three colleagues to go back to the places they came from and the House voted to condemn his comments. In his second term his administration ended protected status for Somalis, and in October 2026 federal agents searched Omar's home in a criminal investigation that reports say concerns her immigration papers. Omar has called the attacks racist and the investigation political, and has not been charged.
14 July 2019 to 23 October 2026 · 42 dated events · 39 sources
Status in the record · 1 November 2026
As of the latest reports opened, Omar had not been charged and the Justice Department had described the matter only as an ongoing federal criminal investigation. A person briefed on the probe told AP it includes more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas in Minnesota. Omar is seeking reelection in Minnesota's 5th District in the November 3 midterm elections.
Coverage through23 October 2026Editorial review1 November 2026
Next date 3 November 2026 US midterm elections, in which Omar is seeking reelection
42 recorded eventsCounts describe this timeline's coverage, not the merits of either participant's position.
Timeline of events
Overview · 14 Jul 2019 to 23 Oct 2026 · click a dot to jump
42 events shown
2019
14 Jul 2019
Turning point
Donald TrumpStatement
Trump tells four congresswomen to go back
In weekend tweets that did not name them, Trump said four first-term congresswomen should go back to the places they came from, AP reported. Omar, born in Somalia, was the only one of the four born outside the United States.
“Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”Donald Trump, FOX 2 Detroit (Associated Press)
At a news conference with the three other lawmakers, Omar said Trump was advancing the agenda of white nationalists and called for his impeachment, NPR and the Star Tribune reported.
“I will stay in the ring, fighting for what is right and will never back down in the face of these attacks.”Ilhan Omar, NHPR (NPR)
Trump named Omar and said she had praised "how great al-Qaida is" and "hates Jews," the Star Tribune reported. The paper said Omar had never made a comment suggesting al-Qaida is great and had never said she hates Jews.
The House voted 240 to 187 for H. Res. 489, which condemned Trump's comments about immigrants and members of Congress who are immigrants, including telling them to "go back" to other countries. The resolution carries no legal consequences, AP noted.
At a rally in Greenville, North Carolina, Trump criticised the four congresswomen and recited complaints about Omar. The crowd chanted "send her back" for 13 seconds, according to AP's review of video.
“I think in some cases they hate America”Donald Trump, Voice of America
As the rally took place, Omar posted lines from Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise" and a photo of herself in the Speaker's chair, Voice of America reported.
“You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes”Ilhan Omar, Voice of America
A day after the rally, Trump told reporters he disagreed with the chant and said he had started speaking quickly to stop it. CBS News and AP said video showed him pausing but not trying to halt the crowd.
Omar said in the days after the rally that the fight was about what the country should be, and said she believed Trump was a fascist, AP reported.
“This is not about me. This is about fighting about what this country truly should be and what it deserves to be.”Ilhan Omar, Southeast Missourian (Associated Press)
Trump tweeted that Israel should not let Omar and Representative Rashida Tlaib visit. Israel then barred the two, citing their support for boycotts of Israel, the Star Tribune and Al Jazeera reported.
“It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib to visit.”Donald Trump, Star Tribune
Omar said in a statement that the decision was no surprise and said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had aligned himself with Trump, whom she called an Islamophobe, the Star Tribune reported.
“Sadly, this is not a surprise given the public positions of Prime Minister Netanyahu”Ilhan Omar, Star Tribune
At the Target Center in Minneapolis, Trump called Omar a disgrace and criticised past federal leaders for bringing Somali refugees to Minnesota, the Star Tribune and The Washington Post reported.
“She is a disgrace to our country and she is one of the big reasons I am going to win.”Donald Trump, Star Tribune
Omar wrote on Twitter that Trump had shouted conspiracy theories about her and scolded her district for electing her, and urged supporters to donate to her campaign, the Star Tribune and The Washington Post reported.
“His hate is no match for our movement”Ilhan Omar, Mitchell Republic (The Washington Post)
Trump questions Omar's place at a Pennsylvania rally
At a rally in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, Trump said Omar was telling Americans how to run their country and asked how her birth country was doing, NY1 and Axios reported.
“She's telling us how to run our country. How did you do where you came from? How's your country doing?”Donald Trump, NY1
In a statement after leaving office, Trump said Omar should apologise for marrying her brother and for immigration and election fraud, Business Insider reported. Business Insider said no evidence had surfaced to support the marriage claim and that there was no evidence of fraud. FOX 9 later described the marriage claims as not proven. Omar has called the marriage rumours "absurd and offensive."
“Congresswoman Ilhan Omar should apologize for marrying her brother”Donald Trump, Yahoo News (Business Insider)
A day after the House set aside a resolution to censure Omar over her remarks after the killing of activist Charlie Kirk, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that impeachment would be better, CBS News reported. Omar said the resolution mischaracterised her words and that she had never supported political violence.
“If she got impeached, that's even better.”Donald Trump, CBS Minnesota
Federal authorities began Operation Metro Surge to increase immigration arrests around Minneapolis and St. Paul, Reuters reported. Reuters said it followed attacks by Trump and other officials on Minnesota's Somali community over alleged fraud involving social services funds.
Near the end of a Cabinet meeting, Trump said Somali immigrants "contribute nothing" and that he did not want them in the country, AP reported. He also pledged to end temporary legal protections for Somalis in Minnesota.
“Ilhan Omar is garbage. She's garbage. Her friends are garbage.”Donald Trump, Global News (Associated Press)
In an NPR interview, Omar called Trump's remarks vile and said he had trafficked in racism, xenophobia, bigotry and Islamophobia for as long as he had held office. NPR said Trump had also discussed deporting her.
The administration said it would end Temporary Protected Status for Somalis, with protections expiring March 17, AP reported. A Congressional Research Service figure put the number covered at 705. Omar called Trump's focus on her and Somali Americans "creepy and unhealthy."
“Temporary means temporary.”Kristi Noem, KEYC (Associated Press)
Trump says Omar should be jailed or sent to Somalia
In a late night Truth Social post about fraud in Minnesota, Trump called Omar a "Fake 'Congresswoman'." The Washington Times reported that Omar had not been linked to any of the Somali-led fraud cases and that Trump did not explain his claim.
“She should be in jail, or even a worse punishment, sent back to Somalia”Donald Trump, Fox News
Trump says the Justice Department is looking at Omar's wealth
Trump posted that the Justice Department and Congress were "looking at" Omar and that she was "reportedly worth more than 44 Million Dollars," Al Jazeera and NBC News reported. NBC News said Trump gave no details and the Justice Department did not immediately respond. In April her office told FOX 9 that an amended disclosure showed she was not a millionaire.
In a speech in Iowa, Trump said Omar was "not like" Somali Americans who he said needed to show they love the country, and called Somalia "a country that's a disaster," CBS News reported.
Later that day, a man sprayed Omar with a liquid at a town hall in Minneapolis. Police said it was apple cider vinegar and water, and she was not hurt, CBS News reported. A man was charged in federal and state court on January 29, the Star Tribune reported, and AP later reported he was sentenced to 14 months in prison.
“We are Minnesota strong and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us”Ilhan Omar, CBS News
Trump told ABC News he had not seen the video and suggested without evidence that Omar had staged the incident, CBS News and the Star Tribune reported. He also said he thought she was "a fraud," the Star Tribune reported.
“She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”Donald Trump, CBS News
During Trump's State of the Union address, Omar repeatedly shouted "You have killed Americans," ABC News and Al Jazeera reported. She later told CNN she had no regrets and said his administration was responsible for killing two of her constituents, ABC News reported. Al Jazeera said two US citizens were killed by federal officers in Minnesota in January.
At a White House news conference, Vice President JD Vance referred to reports about whom Omar had married, said "something fishy" seemed to be there and said the government would investigate, FOX 9 reported. FOX 9 said the marriage claims have not been proven and that the Justice Department had not responded to its request for comment. AP reported that Vance had said in March, without offering evidence, that Omar committed immigration fraud, and that her office called the claims fabricated and defamatory.
“Going to investigate it. We're going to take a look at it.”JD Vance, FOX 9 Minneapolis
Homeland Security chief cites an ongoing investigation
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was an "ongoing investigation" into potential fraud in Omar's family's immigration paperwork and that "something's going to happen," AP and AAP reported.
Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a judicially authorised search warrant at Omar's Washington area home, the Justice Department said. AP reported the search came about three weeks before the midterm elections and noted the department has historically avoided overt steps involving candidates within 60 days of an election. No charges were announced.
“This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.”US Justice Department, Illawarra Mercury (AAP, Reuters)
Trump says the search is up to the Justice Department
Hours after the search, Trump told reporters he had "nothing to do" with it and that it was "really up to the DOJ," AP reported. At an Ohio rally that day he said Omar came from one of the worst countries on the planet.
DDonald Trump12 Oct 2026
She's telling us about the Constitution, and she comes from one of the worst countries anywhere on the planet.
The Wall Street Journal reported, according to Al Jazeera and the Washington Examiner, that investigators were building a case to strip Omar of her citizenship and deport her, examining whether her age was misstated in immigration papers. Her office called the investigation baseless, and no case to revoke her citizenship had been filed, Al Jazeera reported. AP reported, citing a person briefed on the probe, that her phone was seized and more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas were issued, including to relatives.
Asked in the Oval Office about deportation, Trump said Omar could instead go to jail and called her "a very dishonest person," adding that this was his opinion, FOX 9 and The National reported. Border czar Tom Homan said she could be denaturalised if the allegations were proven. Omar has not been charged.
“She could also go to jail.”Donald Trump, FOX 9 Minneapolis
Omar said agents seized 17 items during a search of four or five hours and that she would move out of her Washington home because she no longer felt safe there, AP reported. She said charging her over paperwork filed when she was 12 "seems like a leap."
“confident in the fact that I didn't do anything wrong”Ilhan Omar, FOX5 Las Vegas (Associated Press)
After a prosecutors' filing seeking to keep records of the search sealed referred to Omar by another name, Trump wrote that her real name was different and said at a rally in Iowa that she should resign, Newsweek and The National News Desk reported. Newsweek said Trump's claim that she used a fraudulent name had not been established. No charges had been announced.
“I assume she must immediately have to resign from Congress.”Donald Trump, Newsweek
Omar said her name had always been Ilhan Omar and her spokesperson called Trump's claim completely false, Newsweek reported. Omar has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and said the investigations are politically motivated, The National News Desk reported.
“My name has always been Ilhan Omar.”Ilhan Omar, Newsweek
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Coverage through 23 October 2026. Editorial review: 1 November 2026. Spotted an error? See corrections. Copyright concerns: report an asset. Every event links to its sources. Source type does not establish whether a claim is true.
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