By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN
(CNN) – Former President Barack Obama expressed his strong disapproval on Sunday regarding the Justice Department’s investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar, labeling it “appalling.” He argued that the government is trying to intimidate and potentially deport one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal opponents.
“The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president,” Obama shared on social media.
The former president pointed out that the recent search conducted at the Minnesota Democrat’s Washington, DC, residence aimed to “uncover a nonexistent smoking gun from 20 years ago that will somehow make their case.” CNN had previously reported that this search was part of an immigration fraud inquiry concerning whether Omar’s father misrepresented her age when she obtained her US citizenship in 2000.
Omar has worked to refute the foundation of this investigation, stating she became a lawful citizen in 2000 after escaping Somalia in 1995.
“The fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views,” Obama remarked in his post. “Because if this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her – or that future presidents, in either party, won’t do the same.”
Although there hasn’t been any indication from the government suggesting it will try to revoke Omar’s citizenship, Trump stated earlier this year on Truth Social that he would like to see her sent back to Somalia. Omar has not faced any criminal charges, and no evidence against her has been disclosed by the Justice Department. She has challenged the legality of last week’s search and demanded her property taken by federal agents be returned.
Trump mentioned last week that he believed “the search has nothing to do with me.”
“I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ. I have nothing to do with it,” he added.
In addition to Obama, several prominent Democrats have rallied behind Omar. House Democratic leaders described the search as “deeply disturbing” and claimed it “raises serious questions about the continued corrupt weaponization of the federal government against Donald Trump’s adversaries.”
Omar, who is campaigning for reelection, called this search “the latest escalation” in Trump’s “campaign of political intimidation.” “I will not be silenced,” she declared last week in a statement on X.
The timing of searching her home was quite unusual. Typically, the Justice Department avoids overt investigative actions within 60 days leading up to an election due to potential impacts on voting outcomes; however, this search happened less than a month before voting concludes.
The-CNN-Wire
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CNN’s Katelyn Polantz contributed to this report.
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