On Thursday evening, former President Donald Trump made pointed remarks about Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, referencing long-standing and unproven allegations related to her past marriage. His comments came in response to a Justice Department announcement that eight individuals had been charged in connection with a wire fraud scheme tied to Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization program.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized Omar’s background and questioned whether she had connections to the individuals charged. He also reignited a controversial accusation that Omar had once married her brother to facilitate immigration benefits—an allegation she has repeatedly denied, and which has never been substantiated in a court of law.
“Does Ilhan Omar know these people? Are they from her wonderfully managed Home Country of Somalia?” Trump wrote, referencing the recent fraud charges. He also made disparaging remarks about Somalia’s government and economic conditions before questioning Omar’s right to comment on U.S. policy.
The eight individuals charged in the fraud case are:
-
Moktar Hassan Aden, 30
-
Mustafa Dayib Ali, 29
-
Khalid Ahmed Dayib, 26
-
Abdifitah Mohamud Mohamed, 27
-
Christopher Adesoji Falade, 62
-
Emmanuel Oluwademilade Falade, 32
-
Asad Ahmed Adow, 26
-
Anwar Ahmed Adow, 25
According to publicly available information, Rep. Omar was previously married to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. Their marriage ended in 2011. Some media outlets and political commentators have speculated that Elmi is her brother, but no definitive legal evidence has confirmed this claim. In 2017, Omar filed for and was granted a default divorce, citing an inability to locate Elmi at the time.
Omar, who was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2016 and later to Congress, has been the target of frequent criticism from conservative figures, often centered on her heritage, religion, and political positions. She is currently married to Tim Mynett, a political consultant.
Omar has previously denied any wrongdoing regarding her marital history, calling the repeated allegations baseless and politically motivated.