Former President Donald Trump repeated accusations that Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota married her brother, raising the claim during an interview with Politico’s Dasha Burns released Tuesday.
Questions about Omar’s marital history have circulated since she entered Congress in 2018, with a 2019 investigation by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune highlighting inconsistencies in public records. The topic resurfaced as Trump criticized Omar for opposing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minneapolis following reports of widespread welfare fraud, including allegations that some funds were funneled to the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.
“I want to see people that contribute,” Trump said during the interview. “I don’t want to see a woman that, you know, marries her brother to get in and then becomes a congressman, does nothing but complain.”
Omar, appearing on “Face the Nation” on Sunday, argued that Somalis in Minnesota were also harmed by the welfare fraud scheme.
Trump continued his criticism, describing Somalia as troubled and saying Omar should focus on addressing problems there. He also criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz during the exchange.
Public records show Omar married Ahmed Elmi in 2009 in Minnesota, years after an Islamic marriage ceremony with Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi. Although she said she separated from Elmi in 2011, their divorce was finalized in 2017. Omar later remarried Hirsi in 2018 before the two separated in 2019, according to reporting from the Daily Mail.
On Nov. 22, Trump announced he would end “Temporary Protected Status” for Somalis in Minneapolis, citing the welfare fraud allegations and concerns about refugee resettlement.