President Trump says “I believe she married her brother” and “I would imagine they’re looking at her”
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, speaking at The Villages Charter School in Florida
President Trump speaks about Rep. Ilhan Omar at an event with seniors in The Villages, Fla., May 1, 2026.
Excerpt from 18:47 to 19:39 of the White House video. Cut from the White House's own recording of the event. The ABC News YouTube upload cited for this source shows the same remarks. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: The White House. Public domain (U.S. government work) (opens in a new tab)
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: 16:29 to 16:57 (remarks on Rep. Ilhan Omar's marriage; Trump first mentions Omar at about 15:41).)
Speaking in The Villages, Florida, President Donald Trump said of Rep. Ilhan Omar, “I would imagine they’re looking at her. I have nothing to do with it,” and “I believe she married her brother, which is totally illegal.” He added, “Although it’s a lovely couple actually, but it’s a little bit on the illegal side.”
“But I think, I would imagine they’re looking at her. I have nothing to do with it. I would imagine. Of course I have nothing to do. I have nothing, but I believe she married her brother, which is totally illegal. Although it’s a lovely couple actually, but it’s a little bit on the illegal side.”
Original video
Reporting
Other statements by Donald Trump in this case
- Trump says Omar "could also go to jail" and calls her "a disgrace to our country"Later: Defended or excused
- Trump says Omar "has openly admitted to FRAUD" and must resignLater: Defended or excused
Where this statement fits
Should Trump administration officials publicly accuse Rep. Ilhan Omar of immigration fraud?
Since at least 2016 there have been unproven claims that Rep. Ilhan Omar’s 2009 husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, is her brother. Senior Trump administration officials have repeated the claim publicly. This record begins with Vice President JD Vance’s March 27, 2026 statement that “we actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud,” and includes President Donald Trump’s May 1 statement, “I believe she married her brother.” On September 10, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a podcast interview, “we know that she married her brother to try to bring him in the United States,” and that an investigation was ongoing. On September 13, border czar Tom Homan declined to give specifics of an “ongoing criminal investigation” but said “no one’s above the law.” Omar has denied the claim: on September 16 she told a reporter “Absolutely not” and that she is not under investigation, and on September 18 Fox News Digital reported her saying DHS had not contacted her. Fox reported that there has been no public evidence available to confirm an open investigation into her.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
ABC News' livestream of President Trump's remarks in The Villages, Florida, on May 1, 2026. Trump first mentions Rep. Ilhan Omar at about 15:41; the passage about her marriage runs from about 16:29 to 16:57.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Reporting
About this source
The National News Desk’s report, carried by KOMO, on President Trump’s May 1, 2026 remarks at The Villages Charter School in Florida. It quotes him calling Omar a “phony” and saying she “married her brother.”
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The National News Desk reported that shortly before this passage Trump said “Get the hell out” and “What a phony!” Immediately before the quoted text, Trump said “And then she married a brother to come in. I don’t know.” (KOMO prints “her brother.”)
After the quotation
Trump then said, “Darling, I love you very much. Good night, brother. Let’s go to bed.”
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Trump states as his belief that Omar married her brother and that it is “totally illegal,” and says he imagines investigators are looking at her, while saying he has “nothing to do with it.” That asserts the accusation and speculates that officials are looking at her. The closest competing label is “Mixed or conditional”, because he frames the probe as his own supposition; it loses because he states the belief about the marriage without condition.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Ilhan Omar
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“Whenever the news turns bad, this creep reaches for one name: mine. So let’s make it crystal clear. My name has always been Ilhan Omar.”Read statement
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The New York Times
“is a chilling example of the federal government using its immense power to silence a critic”Read statement
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“This instance is fundamentally different because it represents a dangerous attempt to manipulate the legislature’s qualification rules to oust a congresswoman whom President Donald Trump dislikes.” … “The criminal investigation is the pretext that gets a search warrant signed; denaturalization and removal are the goal.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "President Trump says “I believe she married her brother” and “I would imagine they’re looking at her”". First published: 2026-09-20. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1253-speaking-in-the-villages-florida-president-donald-trump