Former President Barack Obama accused the Trump administration of using federal power to target political opponents after agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C., home. He warned that the investigation into the Minnesota Democrat’s citizenship could threaten basic democratic principles if the government uses it to punish critics.
In a post on X on Sunday, Obama said the administration was attempting to strip Omar of her U.S. citizenship and deport her because of her criticism of President Donald Trump. He wrote, “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.”
Federal agents searched the congresswoman’s home as part of a criminal investigation into her immigration history. According to Fox News Digital, investigators were examining whether Omar or her father committed fraud on immigration paperwork decades ago. The inquiry has raised questions about the circumstances under which she became a U.S. citizen.
Obama defended her citizenship, saying she arrived in the United States with her father when she was 12 and automatically became a citizen at 17 after her father was naturalized. He challenged the theory that she was actually 18 at the time, which would have required her to apply for citizenship separately. Calling the theory unsubstantiated, Obama argued that the government was targeting an elected official for speaking out against the president. He wrote, “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.”
The White House rejected the former president’s accusations. Spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital, “Unlike Joe Biden, President Trump has not weaponized the Department of Justice against his political foes.” She added that the department was focused on “restoring law and order and keeping Americans safe.” Trump has also denied involvement in the investigation. He previously told reporters, “I’ve always found her to be totally crooked, personally, but that has nothing to do with me,” adding that the matter was up to the Justice Department.
Obama also cited federal actions involving New York’s attorney general, a former FBI director and members of the Federal Reserve as examples of what he sees as a broader pattern of targeting perceived political opponents. He said efforts to intimidate public officials should concern Americans regardless of their 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,” he wrote.
SOURCE: blacknews.com