President Trump has escalated public attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar, urging prosecutors to open probes into unspecified "financial and political crimes" and claiming the Justice Department is investigating her. Politico reported the president's statement, but Omar’s office says it has received no DOJ notice. The White House accused Omar of fraud without presenting evidence, and critics warn that pressuring the DOJ to pursue political rivals risks eroding legal norms and institutional independence.
Trump Says DOJ Is Probing Ilhan Omar — Critics Warn Of Political Retaliation
President Donald Trump has intensified his public attacks on Representative Ilhan Omar, repeatedly calling for criminal investigations and at times urging that she leave the United States. His comments have focused on both Omar's public conduct and her private life, and in recent posts he asserted that the Justice Department is investigating the Minnesota Democrat.
Trump used his social platform to demand that officials probe Omar "for Financial and Political Crimes," offering no evidence to support the allegation. On a separate occasion he wrote that Omar "should be in jail," again without citing specific misconduct.
White House Claims and Omar's Response
“President Donald Trump on Monday said the Justice Department is investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). … It is the latest attack the president has levied at Omar, and the most recent instance of the president directing an investigation into his political rivals.” — Politico
Shortly after the president’s posts, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly accused Omar of fraud but provided no supporting evidence. Omar has consistently denied any wrongdoing. A spokesperson for the congresswoman told Politico that Omar has not received any notice from the Justice Department about an investigation — a key detail that raises questions about whether the president’s claim reflects an actual inquiry or a premature public assertion.
Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks with reporters after visiting with immigration officials at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis on Jan. 10, 2026.(Octavio Jones / AFP via Getty Images)
Broader Context
If a formal probe is underway, Omar would join a growing list of Democratic figures whom the administration has publicly suggested or subjected to inquiries. Media reports have named a range of current and former officials — including former Presidents Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, state officials and several members of Congress — as targets of heightened scrutiny.
Legal experts and civil liberties advocates warn that directing the Department of Justice toward political opponents, or publicly urging prosecutions without presenting evidence, risks politicizing the justice system and undermining public confidence in DOJ independence. Even if investigations are legitimate, observers say, the repeated public pressure from the White House is troubling for norms that protect impartial law enforcement.
The situation remains fluid: the president has publicly asserted an investigation, the White House has leveled accusations, and Omar’s office denies receiving any official notice. Independent confirmation from the Justice Department would be required to substantiate the president’s claim.
Help us improve.
