Former President Barack Obama is lashing out against President Donald Trump for the decision to criminally investigate Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar over her immigration status.
It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say. But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. To understand why this is so appalling, it’s important to know the facts. Congresswoman Omar came to this country with her father when she was 12 years old. Five years later, her father became a naturalized citizen. If Ilhan had been 18 at the time, she would have had to apply for citizenship separately. But because she was 17, she became a naturalized citizen automatically. Congresswoman Omar went on to graduate from college, work as a community organizer, become the first Somali-American legislator elected to public office in the U.S., and win a seat in Congress. There, she has been one of the Trump Administration’s fiercest critics, which has led the president to repeatedly single her out as someone who he believes does not belong in this country. Now the Administration is actively trying to deport Congresswoman Omar, seemingly based solely on the unsubstantiated theory that she was actually 18 when her father was naturalized, and therefore is not a citizen. Federal agents have raided her home, confiscated personal records, and seized her phone — all to try and uncover a nonexistent smoking gun from 20 years ago that will somehow make their case. Think about that. 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. And it’s not the first time this has happened. Under President Trump, the Justice Department has repeatedly gone after those he considers his political enemies — from the Attorney General of New York, to the former head of the FBI, to members of the Federal Reserve. In those cases, the prosecutions either stalled or were dismissed for having no basis in law, and the same is likely to happen in this case. But not before Congresswoman Omar’s life has been turned upside down, her legal bills have piled up, and she’s been forced to spend time fighting unsubstantiated charges instead of serving the people of Minnesota. 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. 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.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 18, 2026
"It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say," Obama said on social media. "But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota."
Seemingly lost on Obama when he released that statement was the litany of activities his administration took to target conservatives and the Trump campaign when he was in power.
While progressives attempt to pretend that the only scandal from the Obama era was his choice to wear a tan suit, in reality, the administration made the decision to turn the power of government against its political enemies. The IRS targeted conservative groups over their tax exempt status so ruthlessly that the agency eventually was forced to release an apology. People inside the Obama administration manufactured the false Russia collusion hoax and Steele Dossier, which led to an FBI official pleading guilty to inserting fake information into emails in order to gain a surveillance warrant against the Trump campaign.
“The fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans,” Obama continued.
Meanwhile, Democrats are openly admitting that they intend to use their power to intimidate young conservatives against working for the Trump administration due to the potential legal repercussions.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin just said that he wants to prosecute everyone who works for President Trump and that her goal is for young conservatives coming out of school to be afraid of working in a Republican administration https://t.co/2ycIvMclYL
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 17, 2026
Liberal commentators are sure to dismiss the hypocrisy as (D)ifferent.