Politics

Trump Calls for Rep. Omar’s Resignation After DOJ Filing Lists Alternate Name

By Catherine Nouhan

President Donald Trump has urged Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar to resign after a Justice Department filing identified her as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.” The DOJ document, submitted on Wednesday, does not establish that Omar committed fraud. In response, Omar posted on X that her name has always been Ilhan Omar. The controversy follows a federal investigation into Omar’s immigration history and a search of her Washington, DC, home on October 12. Omar has said she plans to move out of the home, citing safety concerns.

Timeline of events: - October 12: Federal agents searched Omar’s Washington, DC, residence under a judicially authorized search warrant as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. The investigation concerns allegations that Omar or her late father provided false information on immigration paperwork when the family fled Somalia in 1995. - October 15: Judicial Watch, The New York Times, and 14 other press organizations filed applications in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking access to sealed records related to the search warrant. - October 21: In a motion seeking additional time to respond to the requests for records, the Justice Department referred to the congresswoman as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.” The filing did not explain the relationship between the names and requested a delay until after the search warrant was fully executed. - October 22: Fox News Digital reported that unnamed sources said Omar’s birth name was Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, sparking renewed speculation about her name and her 2009 marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. President Trump publicly escalated his attacks on Omar, calling for her resignation and presenting the alternate name as evidence of fraud, even though the filing makes no such finding and she has not been charged. - October 23: Omar’s spokesperson told Al Jazeera that the congresswoman’s name has always been Ilhan Omar and that any contrary indication is false. Omar also posted on X accusing Trump of promoting conspiracy theories through the Justice Department.

Omar has said the attacks are intended to drive her out of Congress because of her background and faith. She stated, “I have a legal right to be a member of Congress, and I am honored.”

The scrutiny of Omar’s name is part of a broader wave of attacks on Muslim American politicians, including Abdul El‑Sayed, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan. El‑Sayed’s full name is Abdulrahman Mohamed El‑Sayed, and he has faced criticism of his Arab heritage and Muslim faith during his campaign. Trump has mocked El‑Sayed’s name and called him a “jihadist,” and at a rally said he could call El‑Sayed “Mohammed” or “whatever the hell I want.”