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Omar Says Raid on Her Home Was Meant to Intimidate Voters
ReOmar Says Raid on Her Home Was Meant to Intimidate Voters
Rep. Ilhan Omar told MS NOW that the federal raid on her Washington home was intended to scare people away from voting in the midterms, while insisting it has instead energized early turnout. The investigation concerns possible immigration fraud, and President Trump has said she could face jail if the allegations are true.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she believes the federal raid on her Washington, D.C., home was designed to intimidate people and keep them from voting in the midterm elections, offering her first extended public response to the search in an interview Wednesday night on MS NOW.
Homeland Security Investigations searched Omar's residence last Monday as part of a probe into potential immigration fraud. Authorities are examining whether Omar or her father made false statements on paperwork that helped her obtain citizenship. Border czar Tom Homan has said that if the allegations are proven, Omar could be denaturalized.
In her interview on «All In with Chris Hayes,» Omar suggested the timing of the investigation reflected a political effort by President Donald Trump to satisfy right-wing supporters who had been promised aggressive action on immigration and election integrity. She said the raid, along with other enforcement measures, was meant to show those supporters that the administration was delivering.
«I think they were like starting to lose faith that these were empty promises, and they had to do something, I believe, to say, ‘Hey, look, we raided her house. You know, now you can feel comfortable that we are doing something,’» Omar said. She added that the goal was ultimately «to intimidate and scare people from wanting to participate and vote.»
Omar argued that the administration had made a large promise about undocumented people voting in American elections and was now trying to «gin up this sort of frenzy» to save face. She pointed to a range of enforcement and election-related activity as part of that effort.
Despite that assessment, Omar said the raid appeared to be having the opposite effect. She said her office was receiving reports of long lines at early voting sites and that staff helping people get to the polls were struggling to keep up with requests for assistance.
«I think it’s doing the opposite,» she said.
Omar had largely stayed out of public view since the search, which was first reported last week. Before her television appearance, she had not been seen publicly since before the raid, apart from a campaign video. Her husband, Tim Mynett, has been seen outside the residence walking their dog, and a campaign aide was spotted bringing food into the home. Both of her daughters arrived at the house two days apart.
Trump warned Tuesday from the Oval Office that Omar could be jailed if the allegations against her are true. «Well, she could be. She could also go to jail,» Trump said. «You know, they keep talking about deportation. No, she could go to jail.» The president described that as «just my opinion» before calling the congresswoman «a very dishonest person» who «hates our country.»
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The episode has unfolded weeks before the midterm elections, with the investigation into Omar's citizenship paperwork and the president's remarks adding to an already charged political environment. Omar's interview sought to frame the search as part of a broader pressure campaign on voters, while the administration has cast the probe as a matter of enforcing immigration law.
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