President Donald Trump launched a fresh verbal assault on Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar on Tuesday, describing the Minnesota congresswoman as a “terrible person” and criticizing her record in office. The remarks came just one day after Homeland Security Investigation agents searched her Washington, D.C.-area residence as part of an ongoing probe into her immigration documentation.
The investigation targets Omar, who is seeking reelection in three weeks, concerning her immigration paperwork, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. Omar, who made history as the first Somali American elected to Congress in 2018, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000 after being born in Somalia.
When asked whether he supported deporting Omar following the search, the president declined to take a formal stance, though he suggested it was a possibility he did not rule out.
“I don’t take a position. I think she’s a terrible person. I think she’s a terrible congresswoman. I don’t think she loves our country at all, but I don’t take a position,” Trump said while departing the White House on Tuesday morning.
Omar has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime. The search occurred within a sensitive timeframe, as the Justice Department traditionally advises prosecutors to avoid overt investigative actions against sitting members of Congress or candidates within 60 days of an election.
Earlier this year, Trump had targeted Omar on social media, claiming she “should be in jail” and suggesting she be sent back to Somalia. On Monday, Omar responded to the raid through a statement on social media, characterizing the operation as an effort to weaponize federal law enforcement against political opponents.
“I will not be silenced,” she wrote.
During a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday night, Trump further criticized Omar, labeling her a “disaster.” He drew harsh comparisons to conditions in Somalia, stating, “She comes in from a country without laws, without police, without military, where all they do is shoot each other. And she comes into our country, and she says, ‘I have a constitutional right.'” Trump also made unsubstantiated claims that Somali immigrants broadly engage in cheating.
These comments echo a pattern of rhetoric from the president regarding Somali immigrants. In December 2025, Trump referred to the demographic as “garbage” during a Cabinet meeting, comments that drew significant backlash at the time.
Vice President JD Vance addressed the search on Tuesday, stating he had received no prior notice of the operation. He emphasized the administration’s commitment to judicial independence.
“Look, we try to run our Department of Justice in a fair and honest way… We try to let the law follow the facts rather than creating facts just to prosecute people we don’t like,” Vance said. “I think the president and I largely try to stay out of Department of Justice investigations and other prosecutions.”
Vance added that the administration would review the allegations against Omar, noting, “If there’s a real case there, we’re going to follow the facts. If there’s not a real case there, then we won’t.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson also weighed in during an interview on Fox News, urging restraint. “We have to reserve judgment and let the system play out as it does,” Johnson said, acknowledging that while the timing might seem inconvenient for Omar, the legal process operates independently of political considerations.
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