Shortly before the midterm elections: search of Trump critic Omar

The US justice system has had the house of Democratic MP Ilhan Omar in Washington searched. Omar is considered a prominent critic of US President Donald Trump. That same day, Trump insulted Omar at a campaign rally because of her Somali roots.

The search took place around three weeks before the midterm elections, in which Trump's Republicans have to fear for their majorities in both houses of Congress. Leading Democrats in Congress accused Trump and right-wing activists of targeting Omar "with hateful personal attacks and baseless accusations."

“Now, less than 30 days before the midterm elections, his violent mass deportation machine has descended on the home of a Democratic elected representative and her family,” they wrote in a statement. The raid is disturbing and raises serious questions "regarding the federal government's ongoing corrupt instrumentalization against Donald Trump's opponents."

Omar talks about smear campaigns

Omar himself spoke of political intimidation. On X, she wrote of an "attempt to target political opponents and use federal law enforcement as a weapon." Trump has been attacking them with baseless lies and smear campaigns for ten years. "This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced," she wrote.

“Immigration Document Fraud”

A Justice Department spokesman told multiple US media outlets that officials from a division of the Department of Homeland Security executed a court-authorized search warrant obtained by the Justice Department. The measure is part of an ongoing criminal investigation at the federal level, it said.

However, according to NBC News, the statement did not indicate that the search warrant was connected to Omar. No further information was given about the nature of the investigation.

Fox News cited two sources familiar with the investigation as saying that the search was part of a criminal investigation into alleged fraud related to the Somali-born congresswoman's immigration records. ABC News has similar information. According to the Reuters news agency, it is about documents that the deceased father of Omar, who was born in Somalia, filled out during her childhood.

Repeated attacks from Trump

Trump attacked Omar the same day at a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, because of her Somali origins and defended the investigation against her. Spectators shouted “deport”. The black and Muslim MP is repeatedly subjected to violent attacks from Trump. With regard to her Somali roots, he has often called for her to "go back" to Somalia.

Omar comes from a country “without laws, without police, without military,” Trump said. All the people there were doing was shooting each other, he claimed, without providing any evidence to support his statements. "And then she comes to our country and says, 'I have a constitutional right.'" She lectures Americans about the Constitution, even though she comes from one of the worst countries in the world, Trump said.

Regarding the search of her home, Trump said he had nothing to do with the investigation. He personally thinks Omar is “completely corrupt” and a terrible person. However, the investigation is the responsibility of the Justice Department, he said.

NBC News points out that it is actually common practice in the Justice Department to exercise particular caution when taking measures shortly before an election that could appear to help or harm a candidate, the broadcaster emphasizes. The ministry is not prohibited from taking action within the two months before an election, but this has long been an unwritten practice.