Barack Obama came out swinging against the Trump administration’s efforts to deport Rep. Ilhan Omar, accusing the president of targeting the Minnesota congresswoman over her criticism of him.
The former president, 65, spoke out days after federal agents raided Omar’s D.C.-area home as part of an investigation into her immigration paperwork.
Omar, 44, was born in Somalia and came to the United States as a child after spending time in a Kenyan refugee camp. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000 and has strongly denied any wrongdoing involving her immigration status.
“It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say. But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota,” Obama wrote in an X post viewed over two million times as of publication.
“Think about that. The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president,” Obama continued. “And it’s not the first time this has happened.”
The former president referenced the Trump Justice Department’s latest unsuccessful efforts to bring charges against his political adversaries, including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and members of the Federal Reserve.
“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 concluded. “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.”
The White House did not immediately respond to questions regarding Obama’s statement.
Trump has long taken up arms against Omar. During his first term, immigration authorities were tasked with scrubbing Omar’s records for any signs of fraud, a search that found no wrongdoing or issues with her naturalization, former officials told the Washington Post last week.
“I think her citizenship is solid and there wasn’t any fraud there,” one former official told the Post.
Widely regarded as the most popular living president, Obama has also been a frequent target of Trump, who often appears envious of his predecessor. Though Obama initially sought to stay above the political fray after leaving office, he has gradually ramped up his criticism of Trump. He has also thrown his weight behind Democratic candidates ahead of the midterm elections, where Republicans are facing the prospect of significant losses.
