Attorney General Blanche says he is “not talking about ongoing criminal investigations” when asked about Omar
Todd BlancheAttorney General of the United States, answering a reporter’s question at a White House briefing
Attorney General Todd Blanche answers a reporter's question at the Sept. 15, 2026 White House press briefing.
Excerpt from 8:02 to 8:58 of the White House video. 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: 08:04-08:56 (reporter's question and Blanche's answer).)
Asked at a White House briefing whether the administration would deport Rep. Ilhan Omar if she were found to have committed immigration fraud, Attorney General Todd Blanche said “I’m not talking about ongoing criminal investigations” and that he had nothing to say about the question “or … public reporting about what others have said about ongoing investigations.”
“I’m not talking about ongoing criminal investigations” … “I don’t have anything to say about your first question or anybody that’s … public reporting about what others have said about ongoing investigations.”
Original video
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
The White House's video of Attorney General Todd Blanche's September 15, 2026 briefing. A reporter asks about Tom Homan's remarks on Rep. Ilhan Omar at about 08:14.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Before the quotation
A reporter said Tom Homan “said on Sunday that Homeland Security Investigations is actively investigating Ilhan Omar” and asked, “If she’s found … committed immigration fraud, would the Trump administration deport her?”
After the quotation
Blanche then moved to the reporter’s second question, on an unrelated topic. On September 13 Homan had said he would not comment on ongoing criminal investigations.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Blanche refuses to discuss any investigation of Omar, citing the general category of ongoing criminal investigations, and neither confirms nor denies one. The closest competing label is “Defended or excused”, because he does not disavow the accusation; it loses because he expresses no view on the accusation or the investigation and closes the topic.
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- People and groups discussed
- Ilhan Omar
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The Dispute Index. "Attorney General Blanche says he is “not talking about ongoing criminal investigations” when asked about Omar". First published: 2026-09-20. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1262-asked-at-a-white-house-briefing-whether-the