‘Married her brother, came in illegally’: Trump targets Ilhan Omar, demands probe | World News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

‘Married her brother, came in illegally’: Trump targets Ilhan Omar, demands probe

ByBloomberg | Posted by Shankhyaneel Sarkar
Oct 17, 2020 05:35 AM IST

Trump said he thinks he’ll win Minnesota in November’s election because of the representative, who was born in Somalia.

President Donald Trump urged the Justice Department to investigate Representative Ilhan Omar at a campaign rally on Friday, disparaging the Democrat and repeating unsubstantiated allegations she married her brother and migrated to the US illegally.

US Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) departs following a campaign event.(REUTERS)
US Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) departs following a campaign event.(REUTERS)

Omar and and other liberal, female lawmakers are an occasional target for Trump’s campaign speeches. On Friday, during a rally in Ocala, Florida, Trump said he thinks he’ll win Minnesota in November’s election because of the representative, who was born in Somalia.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

“She hates our country. She comes from a place that doesn’t even have a government, and then she comes here tells us how to run our country,” he told his audience.

“Thank you very much, she’s a real -- she’s a wonderful -- she’s a wonderful person,” he added, sarcastically.

“If you look at the House with Pelosi and these people, it’s like they hate Israel and they believe in Omar, who came in here and married her brother or something, came in illegally,” Trump said, referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “Come on, come on Justice. Let’s go Justice, Department of Justice.”

Omar arrived in the US at the age of 12 in 1995 as a refugee fleeing Somalia’s civil war, according to the Associated Press. She became a citizen five years later, at the age of 17. She was elected to Congress in 2018.

She has forcefully denied rumors circulated by conservative media outlets that her second husband was her brother and that she married him to commit immigration fraud, calling the allegation “absurd and offensive” in a statement issued during her congressional campaign. She has said she is the youngest of seven children but declined to identify her siblings for a 2018 AP story.

No evidence has emerged that she either married her brother or migrated to the US illegally. Trump has previously promoted the rumor himself, telling reporters in July 2019 that “I’m sure somebody would be looking at that.”

Omar’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now!

Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On